Healing a Broken Heart
by marauderluverz
Summary: Kyoko and Ren are finally dating and Ren is over the moon with happiness the only issue is Kyoko doesn't know how to be in a healthy relationship and her fear of reverting to her old ways is keeping her from getting close to Ren. Will they be able to find a compromise in their desires, or will it all prove to be too much for them to handle? 2nd in HoMH series
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Deciphering the Feelings

" _I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san. I've caused you so much trouble. I don't deserve to be treated so well by you. I'm sorry."_

 _She moved to bow to him from her seated position._

" _Kyoko."_

 _She looked up and was met with his lips crashing against hers. They were soft, and warm and she could feel him smiling._

 _He pulled away slowly and looked at her closely. "Shut up. I love you, and I was happy to take care of you."_

 _Kyoko stared at him for a moment before she felt her heart swelling with happiness._

" _I-I love you too."_

 _A smile lit up Ren's face and he leaned in and kissed Kyoko once more._

That moment replayed in Ren's mind over the next few days both when he was awake and asleep. Unfortunately he had not gotten to see Kyoko since then because they were both busy catching up on missed work and (for her) schoolwork. As much as he wanted to spend every moment with her, he was a professional actor and had to remain focused on his work.

One thing that Ren was having trouble accepting was what Kyoko had said after their kiss.

" _I don't think we should tell anybody about this yet." She said looking down at her hand that was entwined with Ren's._

 _He was surprised. "Why not?" he tried to keep his voice nonchalant._

" _I just think it might cause a lot of trouble if everyone knows." She saw the troubled look on his face. "I mean, we can tell Yashiro-san, Moko, and the president. But just not the public. Is that okay?"_

Ren had agreed immediately but it still bothered him. He had told himself that she'd been through a lot lately and still needed to adjust back to her life. He just hoped she would adjust quickly.

He had just arrived back at LME for a meeting in the afternoon. Yashiro was walking with him giving him details about the meeting. When they turned down the next hallway they saw Kyoko. She was wearing her pink LoveMe uniform and struggling to carry three somewhat large boxes.

Without a second thought Ren moved forward, a box began to fall from Kyoko's arms but he caught it. He took a second box from her leaving her with only one.

She looked up to say thank you but the words caught in her throat when she saw who it was. By this point, Kyoko had convinced herself that the kiss and love confession had all been in her head.

Her face blushed bright red. "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

Ren smiled at her. "You shouldn't be carrying so many boxes at once. You only just returned to work."

Kyoko nodded her head but was no longer able to meet Ren's eyes.

"I'll help you carry this. I have time before my next meeting. Where are we headed?"

Kyoko stared at him in shock. _If I'm right and that kiss was an illusion… he's tricking me again. Testing me._

Ren was surprised at the gloomy expression that crossed her face. Kyoko smiled at him quickly. "You don't have to help me. It's LoveMe work so I shouldn't receive help doing it."

If they were still just co-workers and he was hiding his feelings he would've just tossed the boxes back into her arms and been on his way. But now that she knew his feelings, he could help her honestly.

He leaned down towards her. "I really don't mind, Kyoko. Besides, I don't know that you'll be in the LoveMe section too much longer after we talk to the president."

Kyoko stared at him. _Could it be that that wasn't a dream? Did it really happen? He wouldn't call me Kyoko unless it had right?_

Kyoko wanted to ask him but she wasn't sure how. "Now," Ren continued as he stood upright, "Where are we taking these?"

Kyoko gave in and told him which office it needed to go to and they began walking.

Ren wanted to talk to her but she looked so focused he didn't know how to start. She knocked on the office door and someone opened it.

"I'm delivering these packages." Kyoko informed him with a slight bow. The man nodded and pointed to a nearby desk to put them on. He gave a questioning glance at Ren who only smiled.

After receiving her full marks stamp from the man they began to walk away. Kyoko could no longer take the wondering. She needed to know what was going on.

She opened her mouth to talk when Ren's phone rang.

"Hello, yes. I understand. I'll be right there." He hung up and turned to Kyoko.

"That was Yashiro, I have to go to a meeting now but we can talk later."

She nodded and he turned to walk away. But he stopped and turned back and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before taking off for his meeting.

Kyoko stood in the hall frozen in place. "It really happened." She said finally as she touched the spot on her cheek that was burning.

She glanced around trying to make sure that no one had seen. She wasn't sure why but she didn't want this to be known by everyone just yet. Heck, she didn't even know what they were yet.

 _Does this mean we are a couple now?_ Kyoko blushed at the thought.

As she went through the day she was distracted anytime she wasn't in front of a camera. She spent some of the afternoon filming some make up scenes for her drama but after that found that she was free.

"I guess I'll go home." She said to herself as she packed up her things into her backpack and started to walk back to Darumaya.

As she walked she tried to imagine what it would be like dating Ren. She'd never really been on a proper date… her date in Guam with Corn flashed through her mind.

She shook her head. _No, nothing like that._ She found herself thinking about when she and Sho were living together. _Would Tsuruga-san ever ask me to clean and cook in his apartment?_ She pictured her being at his apartment, wearing an apron while cooking dinner and cleaning the house and being there to greet him when he returned from work.

"No," she sighed, pounding one fist into her open palm. "We'd both be working so we probably wouldn't eat dinner together most of the time."

 _Wait! Why am I assuming I'd move in with him?_ She sighed at her own assumptions.

"What would he say if he heard my thoughts?" she wondered aloud. She quickly dug through her bag and pulled out her doll of Ren that she'd made.

"Why would you assume I'd ask you to live with me?" the Ren doll scolded her. "Surely I'd get tired of seeing you all the time."

She hung her head in shame over her thoughts. _I'm hopeless…_

 _Buzz! Buzz!_

Kyoko dug through her bag again and found her cell phone. It showed three missed calls from…

"Tsuruga-san?! Why would he be calling me?"

Kyoko's mind flashed back to their earlier conversation. _Oh! That's right, he said we would talk later. And then he kis- No!_

The phone began to buzz again. She quickly fumbled with it and opened it.

"Hello?" she answered nervously.

"Are you okay?" a panicked voice came through the phone and she felt that strange swelling in her heart again. He was worried about her.

"Kyoko, are you okay?" Ren asked again, his voice filled with concern.

"Huh? I mean, yes I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't answer until now."

Ren sighed. "You forgot to turn the sound up on your phone again, didn't you?"

Kyoko blushed. "Yes. It was in my bag so I didn't feel the vibrate. I'm sorry if I caused you to worry."

"It's fine." Ren answered. "I'm just glad you're okay. I was actually calling to see if you wanted to go to dinner with me tonight. We can discuss things."

"I-um I mean, sure. Yes. That would be fun."

Ren struggled to hide the relief in his voice. "I finish work around eight. Where should I pick you up?"

"Well, I'm heading back to Darumaya right now."

"Perfect. I'll pick you up there at eight-thirty. See you then, Kyoko."

As they hung up, Kyoko's face was flushed. She just couldn't get used to him using her first name. She stopped walking as she realized something.

 _He's going to want me to call him by his name. No more Tsuruga-san._

She sighed heavily. This was beginning to be more trouble than she had originally thought.

Kyoko arrived home and went to her room to change for her date. She went through her small wardrobe debating on what to wear.

A skirt or pants? Dressy or casual? Heels or sandals?

She quickly decided against the heels because she still wasn't used to wearing them. She wound up deciding on a cute skirt with a pretty top, some sandals, and for the finishing touch-

"Princess Rosa!" she exclaimed as she fastened it around her neck. She had figured she should wear it for good luck.

Kyoko put on some light make up for the occasion and when she was finished she looked in the mirror.

"What do you think?" she asked her Ren doll that she had propped up leaning against the mirror.

"You look fine if you were going on a normal date… but do you really think this is good enough for a date with me."

Kyoko sighed at her Ren doll's critique. "Of course he's right." But before she could think about it anymore there was a knock on her door.

"Kyoko-chan, you have a visitor. There's a very handsome man waiting for you downstairs."

Kyoko blushed at her landlady's words. "I'll be right down." She called out.

She grabbed her purse and quickly transferred her necessities. She included her wallet, her phone, her lipstick, her pouch with Corn's stone, and after a moments debate, she grabbed her Ren doll and stuck it inside.

"All right, now I'm ready!" she told herself before heading downstairs.

She spotted Ren immediately because he looked so out of place in the small restaurant. He was wearing jeans and a fashionable shirt. His smile made Kyoko want to run back upstairs but she told herself she couldn't back out now.

"Are you ready, Kyoko?"

She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her waist as he led her outside to his car. He opened her car door and helped her in before walking to his side and getting in.

"You look beautiful," he told her as he looked into her eyes. Ren felt pride flow through him as he noticed the necklace that hung around her neck.

Kyoko blushed and quickly looked down at her lap. She began to play with her purse strap. Ren thought he heard a mumbled "Thank you," but figured he'd better just move on. It seemed Kyoko was having trouble adjusting to this new relationship between them.

As he began driving Kyoko managed to find her voice. "Where are we going to, Tsur-"she stopped quickly hoping he wouldn't say anything about her calling him by his last name.

 _Is it really so hard for her to call me Ren?_ He wondered silently. Aloud he replied to her, "There's a restaurant nearby that opened up recently. I thought we could try it together."

Kyoko nodded. "That sounds good." She gave him a small smile.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Ren gave his name to the host and she led them to a small private dining room. She instructed Ren on the button to call for service and set down their menus before leaving.

Ren watched Kyoko to see what she thought of the restaurant. She sat down and put her purse next to her. As she glanced around the room she began to fidget with her purse once again.

Ren smiled at her nervousness. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Her eyes darted up to his own and she blushed. "I'm fine. Just nervous." She answered honestly.

"What are you nervous about?"

Kyoko mumbled something.

"What was that?"

She sighed and answered without looking at him. "I'm nervous you might kiss me unexpectedly again."

Ren struggled not to laugh. It seemed that that was the only way he ever kissed her. He felt a slight pain in his heart though as he realized he had made her scared of his kiss.

He leaned forward over the table and tilted her head up so she was looking at him.

"I promise, I will not kiss you again without warning you."

His smile made her feel weak. She looked away. "I'm not sure that's much better." She grumbled and this time Ren could not hold back his laugh.

"Should we order our food yet?" he asked her.

Kyoko looked at the menu for the first time. The food all looked so good. Then she saw the prices.

She quickly opened her purse and searched for her wallet. Ren didn't even have to see her hands to know what she was doing.

"You don't have to worry about it." He told her sternly. "The money. I'm paying for dinner."

Kyoko shook her head, "I can't let you pay for it. It's so expensive, it wouldn't be right for me to take advantage of your kindness."

"Are you trying to make me look bad?" Ren asked her seriously.

Kyoko's face showed her confusion.

"How does it look if I take my girlfriend to a place like this and then let her pay for her portion?" he watched her face carefully to see if she reacted to the word "girlfriend".

Kyoko looked down at the menu again. _I guess when he puts it like that…_

She looked back up suddenly. "Wait, is that what I am?" she asked. "I mean, are we-"

Ren interrupted her. "What do you want us to be?" he unconsciously held his breath as he waited for her answer.

"Um… I-I'm not sure."

Ren felt a pain in his heart. He put a smile on to hide his pain. "Well, why don't we order our food." Before Kyoko could say anything else he pushed the call button and when the server came she took their orders.

When they were alone again, Ren excused himself. "I need to use the bathroom."

Kyoko watched in silence as he left the room, leaving her to sit alone. She let her face hit the table.

"Why am I such an idiot? Why can't I do anything right?" she sighed. She reached into her purse and pulled out her Ren doll.

"What was I supposed to say?" she asked him.

"You should've been honest. What kind of terrible person can't even be honest with the one they love?" the doll scolded her.

"I know!" she cried in frustration. "But how can I be honest with him when I can't even figure out what to tell myself honestly?"

 **A/N: so that was chapter 1 of my sequel story. I hope you liked it! I have a lot of stuff planned for it. Please review! Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Sudden Confession

As soon as their server had exited the room again Ren had stood up and excused himself. He just didn't understand Kyoko's response to his question.

 _I ask her what she wants us to be and she says she's not sure. Didn't we just confess to each other a few days ago?_

Ren sighed as he paced back and forth right outside of their private dining room. He had said he was going to the bathroom as an excuse to have a moment to think.

 _Maybe she's just not sure because she's only ever been with_ him _._ A voice in Ren's head said. He ran a hand through his hair. _What is wrong with me? Getting worked up because she's unsure… I should be in there talking with her right now._

Ren turned to re-enter the room but stopped when he heard Kyoko's voice.

"Why am I such an idiot? Why can't I do anything right?"

Ren felt bad, hearing Kyoko's frustration.

"What was I supposed to say?" he heard her ask.

"You should've been honest. What kind of terrible person can't even be honest with the one they love?"

Ren knew it was still Kyoko speaking but she had changed her voice slightly, and he recognized it as the one she used when she was imagining him scolding her. _Why does she do that?_ He wondered.

"I know!" she cried in frustration. "But how can I be honest with him when I can't even figure out what to tell myself honestly?"

Ren smiled sadly to himself and he could feel the ache in his heart ease. _She doesn't know what to tell you because she's still figuring it out._

He felt so stupid. _There was no need for me to act childish. I'll use this date to prove to her we should be together._

Ren stepped forward and slid open the door. In front of him was a shocked, red-faced Kyoko and in her hands she was holding a small perfect replica of him.

He laughed at her expression, as he sat back down across from her.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she hurriedly hid the doll back in her purse.

"Even when we are on a date you feel the need for me to scold you?" he asked with a gentle smile.

Kyoko stared down at her lap. "I just feel bad that I can't give Tsuruga-san an answer yet."

Ren reached across the table and covered her mouth. "Stop." He whispered. "You don't have to worry about it."

She nodded and he slowly removed his hand. "But Kyoko, could you please call me by my first name from now on?"

Her eyes went wide. "I'm not sure if I'm able to-"

The door slid open as their server entered the room again this time bringing their food. They began to eat and Ren tried to steer the conversation to lighter topics.

"How is work going for you since you've been back?"

"It's been very good." She replied. "I was given a few LoveMe assignments, and I still had some make up filming for a drama. Oh! And I got a job offer for a commercial."

Ren couldn't help but smile as he watched her chatter away excitedly.

"You're so cute when you get excited about work."

A blush crept over Kyoko's face as she took in the words from Ren. She quickly took a drink of her tea to avoid having to look at him.

"So what is the commercial?" Ren asked. _Apparently she's not ready for those kind of compliments._

After they finished dinner, they headed back to Ren's car. As Ren drove back to Darumaya he told Kyoko about various jobs he was working on. When he pulled up to the home, he turned to Kyoko only to find that she was completely asleep.

"We are here." He told her as he attempted to wake her by gently shaking her shoulder.

She didn't stir aside from a small noise she made. He loved watching her sleep. Ren climbed out of the car and moved to her side. He opened the car door and after grabbing her purse, he scooped her into his arms.

The owners of Darumaya looked shocked to see Ren at the door carrying Kyoko. He smiled charmingly, "She fell asleep on the way back. Could you please show me to her room?"

Ren followed the wife upstairs and she opened the door to Kyoko's room before leaving them alone.

He carefully laid Kyoko on her bed and put her purse on the floor next to her. "I guess she was worn out." He muttered as he gazed at her sleeping form.

He began to rise to leave but a thought crossed his mind. _Ah, she might not have set an alarm._

He reached into her purse and pulled out Kyoko's cell phone. He quickly set an alarm for the following morning and put it on her table. Then another idea crossed his mind.

Ren felt a little guilty going through Kyoko's desk but he needed some paper. When he found some, he jotted down a quick note and left it on the table along with a surprise.

 _Brring! Brring!_

Kyoko was startled awake by her alarm. She sat up in bed suddenly.

"What?" she asked groggily. She reached over and grabbed her phone, shutting off the alarm.

"I don't remember setting an alarm-" Kyoko's mind flashed back to the prior night. _We were at dinner, and we headed home and…_ she was confused. For some reason she couldn't remember anything after the drive home.

She looked back at her table and was surprised to be greeted with Ren's face. Or rather her Ren doll. He was positioned sitting atop a paper.

She grabbed the paper and read it.

"Kyoko,

You fell asleep on the ride home so I helped you to bed. I hope you had an enjoyable evening and that you won't worry over the things we discussed.

I look forward to our next date.

Have a good day at work today.

Ren"

Kyoko blushed suddenly. "I fell asleep on our date?" _Wait, does that mean he set my alarm for me?_

She checked her phone again and saw the time. "Ah, right! I've got to get ready!"

She hurriedly got ready and took her bike to school. She didn't have work until the afternoon so she planned to spend the morning at school, however she found she was having trouble focusing.

As the teacher talked, Kyoko's mind wandered. _What do I want from him? I suppose if I've already confessed I can't pretend like nothing happened._

Her mind flashed back to memories of her with Ren. The time when she had helped him practice Katsuki and he had held her. The time as Setsu when he had acted jealous over Sho calling her. The time even more recently when she had cried over her mother's harsh words and he had comforted her as she cried.

 _Has he loved me all this time?_

"Mogami-san, can you please answer questions four?"

She looked up suddenly at her teacher's voice. "Huh? I mean, yes Sensei!"

The day passed slowly for Kyoko but by the time she left school she was sure of one thing. She wanted to be Ren Tsuruga's girlfriend.

"Am I crazy?" she wondered aloud as she entered the agency. "Maybe he's already changed his mind."

"Kyoko-chan!"

She turned and saw Yashiro approaching her. He had a big smile on his face and looked excited.

"Hello, Yashiro-san!" she greeted. Kyoko glanced around and was surprised that she didn't see Ren.

"Ren isn't with me." Yashiro said as he realized what her actions meant. "He was in a meeting so I thought I'd take care of picking up some things for him."

Kyoko nodded. "Oh okay." She tried not to show her disappointment. "I was just surprised not to see him with you. That's all."

Yashiro's eyes glinted at her words. "Did you two go on a date last night?" he asked.

Kyoko felt her face warm up. "What? Why would you think that?!"

"Ren seemed to be in an unusually good mood this morning." Yashiro told her as they began walking towards the LoveMe section.

Kyoko brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, he was?"

Yashiro nodded enthusiastically. "But then again you always cheer him up."

Kyoko blushed as she tried to ignore his comment. "What time do you think Tsuruga-san will be done with his meeting?" she asked as she opened the door to the LoveMe section.

"He should be done in just a few minutes." He responded. He glanced down the hall. "Oh, look. There he is now."

Kyoko looked and sure enough there was Ren. _Why does he always have to look so handsome?_ She wondered, and she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face.

"Good afternoon, Kyoko." He greeted her.

"G-good afternoon." She replied, trying not to stutter after being blinded by his smile.

"Ren, I have these papers for you to go over and a script for your new drama." Yashiro told him.

Ren nodded.

Kyoko knew if she wanted to talk to him she would need to say something now or she'd lose her opportunity as well as her nerve.

"Umm, Tsuruga-san?"

He looked at her questioningly.

"Could I please have a moment to speak to you?"

Yashiro held in a squeal as he looked back and forth between the two. "I'll go take care of some phone calls. You can meet me after." He told Ren as he walked away.

Ren smiled at Kyoko and followed her into the LoveMe section room.

"Please sit." Kyoko said, gesturing to the couch.

 _She's being so formal._ Ren thought as he followed her request. He watched her silently, waiting for her to speak.

Kyoko paced back and forth for a moment, she stopped and turned to him, then shook her head and began pacing again. Ren reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Please, Kyoko. You're making me nervous." He pulled her down to sit next to him.

"Okay, I'll just say it." She sounded so determined that it made Ren wonder if this was her telling him it was over.

"I-I love you, Ren." She had said the words softly, but he had managed to make it out.

He opened his mouth to respond but she kept talking.

"I've loved you for a while now. I'm not sure when it happened. I was scared to admit my feelings to even myself. That's why I wasn't sure how to answer you yesterday."

Ren watched as she clenched her fists in her lap. He wanted desperately to wrap his arms around her but knew it would interrupt her.

"But I thought about it all day today and I've decided what my answer is." She looked at him, finally meeting his eyes and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "If you'll have me, I want to be your girlfriend."

Ren swallowed. This was the last thing he had expected from her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap as he hugged her tightly.

"I was hoping you'd say that." He whispered gently into her hair.

Kyoko couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She had been so scared he'd reject her. She began to sob into his chest.

After several minutes, Ren pulled away enough to look into her face. "I'm going to kiss you now." He leaned in and let his lips meet hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: here's chapter 3. I've been having trouble getting into my characters again still so I'm rereading the Manga to make it easier. Hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 3: A Discouraging Discussion

As their kiss ended Ren smiled down at his new girlfriend who was sitting in his lap. Kyoko smiled for a moment, before realizing their position. Her face blushed dark red and she jumped up and away from him quickly.

Ren couldn't hold back his laughter at the look on her face. "It's okay you know." He said as he stood from the couch. He opened his arms toward her, "If we are dating, I can hold you right?"

Kyoko looked uncertain but after a moment, she moved towards him. She hung her head as she stopped in front of him. "Sorry, It's just strange. I've never had someone who wanted to hold me."

Ren tilted her head up towards him. "I've wanted to be able to hold you for a long time." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight for several sweet moments.

Just then both of their phones began to ring. Ren answered his and Yashiro spoke from the other end. "I'm sorry to interrupt your and Kyoko's time together but we need to go over some things before we head to your filming."

When Kyoko answered the phone it was Sawara-san. "Hello, Mogami-san, I was wondering if you were free to come help with something before your commercial filming?"

Both Ren and Kyoko sighed internally.

"Of course, I'll be right there." They each responded.

As they hung up Kyoko moved to collect her bag and Ren moved towards the door.

"Tsuru- ah, I mean, Ren?"

A blush tinged Ren's cheeks as he heard her call his name tentatively. "Yes, Kyoko?"

"I think we should keep this a secret for now, our dating." She saw the smile on his face begin to disappear. "I just, I'm concerned that you'll lose a lot of fans. Because they are all girls who dream of dating you. So just for now?"

Ren nodded. "I suppose you're right." He bid her good bye before heading to meet Yashiro. Despite her excuse, Ren had a feeling there was more to her reason for keeping them a secret.

That night when Kyoko arrived at Darumaya she took a bath and then collapsed into bed. She had been through a lot emotionally that day and was exhausted. Just as she began to drift to sleep, she heard her phone began to ring.

She climbed out of bed. "Where did I leave it?" she searched through the dark and after stubbing her toe on her desk she managed to find it buried in her bag.

"Hello!" she answered quickly, hoping she wouldn't miss the call.

"I hope I'm not calling too late." The voice on the phone was Ren's and Kyoko felt her heart flutter at the sound.

"Of course not." She responded cheerfully. She could tell Ren sounded tired. "Did you just get home?"

Ren laughed a little. "Yeah, it was a long day."

Kyoko agreed. "Yes, it definitely was."

"Well, I was calling because I wanted to know if you had any free time tomorrow. I figured we should go talk to the president about things."

 _Oh yeah, I guess we need to tell him._

"Right! I'm free anytime after four. Does that work?"

Ren smiled at her enthusiasm. "That should be fine. I think I'm free from four-thirty until six. So I'll swing by during that time. I'll let you go to sleep now."

"Okay, good night, Ren." She told him with a smile. There was something nice about talking to Ren right before she went to sleep.

"Good night, Kyoko. Sleep well."

Kyoko was going to hang up but she paused and took a breath. "I love you!" she blurted out.

"I love you too."

Ren sat for a moment after hanging up with Kyoko.

 _I love you!_ His heart had never felt so happy. He took a shower and then climbed into bed where he slept peacefully as he dreamed of the woman he loved.

The next day it was almost five in the evening by the time Ren made it to LME. He was running half an hour behind schedule due to an issue at his last filming and he hoped Kyoko would still be waiting.

As they entered the agency, Yashiro and Ren parted ways. It had been impossible to keep his dating Kyoko a secret from his manager but Kyoko had said before that Yashiro was allowed to know.

"Good luck!" Yashiro called to Ren. Ren smiled. He knew Yashiro had been trying to get him and Kyoko together for a long time. As he reached the LoveMe section he could hear voices on the other side of the door.

He knocked and waited a moment. The door opened to reveal Kanae Kotonami, Kyoko's best friend.

"Good evening, Kotonami-san." Ren greeted her.

She smiled before turning back into the room. "Kyoko, it's your boyfriend." Kanae stepped back to allow Ren to enter the room.

Kyoko got up from where she was seated. "Good evening, Tsu- Ren." She bowed and Kanae laughed a little.

"Good evening, Kyoko." He responded with a smile.

Kyoko had already filled her in on what had happened, and she kind of felt proud knowing that all of this was partly because of her.

Kyoko glared at her friend, then returned her gaze to Ren. "Should we go now?"

Ren nodded. "Yes, best to get it taken care of as soon as we can."

They said their goodbyes to Kanae and began walking up to the president's office.

"I'm sorry I was late." He told her, sheepishly.

She smiled at him. "You just said between four-thirty and six was when you were off. I knew you'd get here."

Ren felt happy at her belief in him.

"Was everything okay though?" she asked.

Ren nodded. "Yes, there were just some issues at my last set figuring out the filming schedule for tomorrow."

"That's good then." She replied as they stepped into the elevator. Due to the evening hours everyone had exited the elevator on their floor and the two found themselves riding together alone.

Kyoko felt awkward. She wasn't sure what to talk about anymore. Ren glanced at her and could tell she was tense. He reached over and gently wrapped her hand in his.

She looked at their hands entwined together and blushed slightly, but said nothing.

The new couple was now seated in the President's office. They had just finished telling Lory Takarada about the fact that they were now a couple. He had immediately demanded a full rundown of how it happened before allowing anything else to be said.

Ren shook his head at the way his elder acted like a teenage girl. When they had finished telling the story Lory spoke.

"Well, I'm very happy for you both. You don't know how torturous it was to watch you both being in love alone."

Kyoko and Ren both stared at the president in stunned silence. _He had known…that we both…_

"Now then," Lory continued, ignoring the shock on their faces. "Was there anything else we needed to discuss?"

Kyoko raised her hand slightly. "Actually, umm, we decided that we'd like to keep this a private thing for now."

The smile that had been on the president's face this whole time faded.

"Why is that?"

Kyoko fidgeted. "Well, we figured that us dating could affect Ren's fans. I didn't want that to happen."

Lory glanced towards Ren who only nodded. _Well, it's obvious this is her idea and he's just going along with it._ Lory thought.

"If that's what you two want, that's fine." Lory responded.

Kyoko stood to say goodbye when Ren spoke up. "President, does this mean Kyoko will be graduating from the LoveMe section?"

Kyoko held her breath as she waited for the answer.

"No." Lory answered. "I'm afraid she's not quite ready yet."

Kyoko felt the hope in her heart disappear. She wanted to ask so many questions but knew she would start to cry if she did. She bowed to the president.

"Thank you for your time." She said without meeting his eyes. She then hurried from the room.

Ren sighed and looked after Kyoko.

"I'm sorry, Ren."

Ren looked back towards the president. "I thought she'd be out of it now. I thought her admitting that she's in love would be enough."

Lory ran a hand through his hair. "It would've been."

Ren was confused. "Then why?"

Lory looked at him seriously. "It was her idea to keep it a secret, right?"

 _So it's because of that._ Ren nodded.

"Because of her fear of acknowledging tour relationship it seems she still has some things to learn about love." Lory told him sadly. "Take care of her Ren."

Ren bowed and said goodbye to the president before leaving the room. _Where did she go?_ He wondered as he stepped into the corridor. He saw Sebastian standing right outside the door.

"Did you see where she-"

Sebastian interrupted him by pointing to the nearby door to the stairs.

"Thanks." Ren went through the door and saw Kyoko sitting at the bottom of the first flight of stairs.

"Why? Why is it not good enough?" she muttered. He could tell she was crying and it pained him. She had done far too much crying lately.

 _But this time, I can comfort her._ He told himself as he quickly moved down the stairs. He stood in front of her and she looked up, noticing him for the first time.

He took her hand and pulled her up to him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry, Kyoko." He whispered as he kissed her head.

She turned her head to look up at him. "It's not your fault." She told him through her tears.

Ren reached a hand to her face and wiped away her tears. "And it's not yours either."

They stayed like that for several moments before Kyoko pulled away. She leaned up and kissed Ren on the lips. It was a quick kiss but Ren cherished it.

Kyoko blushed, then the look on her face changed. "What time is it? Don't you have work after this?" she scrambled to pull out her phone. "It's already five-thirty. You have something at six, right?"

Ren sighed. "Yes, I'd almost forgotten." _But I really don't want to leave you like this._

"Should I drop you off at home on my way?" he asked.

Kyoko shook her head. "I can't inconvenience you. And besides it'll make you late."

Ren still looked uncertain as they walked back up the stairs and moved to the elevator.

"I'll be fine, Ren." She told him with a small smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Dazzling Date Part 1

As Kyoko lay in bed that night she had trouble falling asleep. Thoughts raced around in her head.

 _Why won't the president let me graduate from the LoveMe section?_

She stared at the dark ceiling as she pondered that thought. Suddenly, she sat up in bed.

"Wait a second. Maybe he just said that because Ren and I have only just confessed our feelings to each other! He must want to see our relationship grow first. I'll just have to figure out how to be the best possible girlfriend for Ren."

Satisfied with her answer to the problem, she began to try to think of what Ren would want her to be like as a girlfriend.

She tried to think of any interviews Ren had had where they had asked about what he looked for in a woman.

She thought back to what felt like so long ago, when she and Sho had seen Ren on television. _Gentle, but strong inside…_

"Well that doesn't help!" she sighed. "Focus, Kyoko. You need to figure out what Ren would want in a girlfriend."

As she tried to think, she slowly drifted off to sleep. Her final thought being that maybe she should make him a lunch.

The next day, Yashiro awoke to an alert on his phone before his alarm had even gone off. He picked up his phone using his sheet as a barrier. He checked it and saw he had a text message from Kyoko.

"Yashiro-san, sorry to bother you so early. I was just wondering where Ren will be at lunch time today?"

Yashiro squealed in excitement. "Perhaps this means they'll be spending even more time together."

He quickly sent her back a response with the name of the studio they'd be at and a congratulations on their new relationship, before running off to get ready for what was sure to be an exciting day.

On the drive to work, Ren noticed Yashiro was acting strange. He figured maybe it was still the leftover excitement from the news of him and Kyoko dating but wasn't sure. Around eleven-thirty, Yashiro was still acting strange when they arrived at the studio where Ren would have his photo shoot.

"What are you up to?" he asked his manager as they exited the car.

Yashiro smiled. "Nothing," he said in a sing song voice.

Kyoko had gone to school in the morning and was headed to a filming in the afternoon, so she decided to take advantage of her free lunch time to go see Ren. She had woken up extra early to make Ren a bento to take to him. At the time, Kyoko had felt confident about it, but now that confidence was fading.

"What if he thinks I'm being to clingy by showing up at his photo shoot?" she asked herself as she exited the taxi she had taken to get there.

She approached the desk at the front entrance of the building.

"Name please?" a secretary asked her.

"Kyoko Mogami." _Maybe they won't let me in because I'm not cleared to be here._ She thought hopefully.

"Here you are Mogami-san." The secretary said, as she handed her a visitor badge. "Your party is on the second floor in studio 2D."

Kyoko accepted the badge with a thank you before heading towards the elevator. "Maybe I shouldn't have texted Yashiro-san." She sighed. "Now I have no excuse."

When Kyoko reached the room she had been instructed to go to, she saw a security guard standing outside the door.

"Badge?" he asked her.

She held out her badge to him and he smiled and opened the door for her. When she entered the large studio she saw the area where they had backgrounds and cameras set up. In the center of it all was Ren, looking dazzling as ever.

After a moment of staring she heard the director yell that it was time for lunch. She saw the staff and models all move towards dressing rooms and then to a nearby room set up with tables and benches. Kyoko waited until she saw Ren come into view but just as she was about to go approach him he was surrounded by several other girls who were working at the photo shoot.

She held back. _Maybe I shouldn't bother him. He seems busy._ She thought as she watched the girls talking to Ren and giggling at the things he said.

She looked down at the lunch she had prepared for him. "I should at least give this to him." She pulled out her phone and after a moments hesitation dialed Yashiro's number.

"Kyoko-chan, where are you? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, well I'm here but," she forced her voice to sound cheerful. "Ren seems busy so I didn't want to bother him. Do you think you could come out and just take the bento I made for him to him?"

Yashiro glanced over to where Ren was seated just a few feet away. He could see how it looked to Kyoko. Ren was surrounded by beautiful girls, and being as charming as ever.

"Where are you at right now?" he asked into the phone.

"I'm just outside of the lunch room. Down the next hall."

"All right, just wait a moment."

Yashiro stepped over to Ren. He tapped his shoulder than whispered something in his ear.

As Kyoko stood pacing in the hall she wished Yashiro would hurry. "I just want to give this to him and leave before Ren sees me."

"Why wouldn't you want me to see you?"

Kyoko looked up and saw Ren standing at the entrance of the hall. She dropped her eyes to the floor. Ren walked to her and stopped in front of her.

"Why didn't you want me to see you?" he asked again. His voice was stern but soft at the same time.

Kyoko looked up at him. "I-I," she stuttered. She closed her eyes tightly and held out the lunch she had made him. "I made this for you."

Between her expression and her school uniform she looked like a school girl trying to give her teacher a lunch. He smiled at her, and she opened her eyes to see his reaction.

"Thank you," he told her as he took the lunch from her. His smile soon faded away into confusion. "But I still don't understand why you were hiding."

Kyoko stared at the ground again and Ren saw her face tinge red. "You looked busy. So I didn't want to interrupt."

"I wasn't busy," he replied.

Kyoko sighed. "You were talking… with those girls."

 _Is she jealous?_ He wondered. He thought about what she had seen and felt guilty for being the cause of her feeling bad, but at the same time he felt exceedingly happy.

"You are allowed to interrupt me any time you want to." He told her gently. "Because you're my gir-"

He was stopped by Kyoko covering his mouth with her hands. "You can't say that kind of stuff out in public." She told him quickly.

 _But we are alone._

Kyoko realized that her hands were still on his mouth and pulled them away quickly.

Ren laughed and then gave her a smile. "Well, thank you for this." He said as he gestured to the lunch.

"You better hurry back." She told him as she pushed him back toward the lunch room.

Kyoko left, and when she reached the elevator she sunk to the floor. _His smile… it was so beautiful._

Several days passed, during which Kyoko and Ren only saw each other when their schedules crossed. Kyoko decided it was time to activate the next part of her "perfect girlfriend" plan. She met up with Ren during the work day to deliver another lunch to him. The two of them were sitting in his trailer since he was filming on location.

"Umm.. Ren?" she asked.

He smiled, "Yes, Kyoko."

"When is your next day off?"

Ren looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm actually off all day on Sunday."

Kyoko's eyes lit up. "Really? That's perfect."

Ren laughed at her excitement. "Were you wanting to do something together?"

She nodded. "I want to plan a date for us." She was avoiding meeting his eyes, but Ren didn't mind. He thought she was cutest when she got embarrassed around him.

"That sounds fun. What time should I pick you up?"

Kyoko thought for a moment. "I'll have to call you with the details. I haven't quite figured anything out yet." She glanced at the time on her phone. "Oh, I have to get going. I have filming in half an hour. I'll see you later." She stood to leave but looked to where Ren was seated. She stepped close to him and kissed his forehead before running from the trailer red-faced.

When Sunday morning arrived Ren got ready for their date. Kyoko had called him the previous night and asked if he wanted to go to an outdoor market and festival nearby. It would last most of the day and Ren definitely didn't mind having so much time with the woman he loved.

" _One more thing," she had said before they hung up. "Do you think you could wear some sort of disguise? Just so people don't recognize you. I just know you aren't going to want to deal with paparazzi and tons of fans on your day off."_

Ren had been confused but had accepted her requirement. _It does sort of make sense._ He told himself as he dressed into his disguise, which consisted of plain clothing he hadn't worn in a long time, a baseball cap, and sunglasses.

He stared at himself in the mirror. "Well, there's no hiding my height, but hopefully this is enough to keep people from staring."

He had even taken precautions to borrow a car from the president so that no one would recognize his car. He climbed into the less fancy car and drove to meet Kyoko. As he pulled up to Darumaya he saw Kyoko already waiting outside.

She was wearing jean shorts with a light blue tank top and darker blue button up shirt over it. When she saw him she smiled and waved. She climbed into the car before he could get out to help her in.

"Good morning, Ren!" she said cheerfully.

He smiled back. "Good morning. I hope this is a good enough disguise." He gestured to his clothing and hat. Kyoko looked at him for a moment.

"Yes, I think that will work." She gave him a thumbs up and then buckled her seatbelt. In between giving Ren directions to their destination Kyoko chattered happily about how good the weather was that day, how excited she was to go this type of event, and how she had struggled deciding what to wear.

"Do you think I look okay like this?" she asked suddenly. "I mean, it's okay for our date today?"

Ren glanced at her. "Yes, you look really cute."

Kyoko blushed and stared at her lap. "A simple yes would've been fine." She mumbled.

Ren laughed. "Will you never get used to me complimenting you?"

 _He wants me to accept compliments happily._ She marked that down mentally as step one of being the perfect girlfriend.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to it." She said with a laugh.

When they reached the event, they parked and walked over to look at the various attractions and stalls. Kyoko was trying to look at everything at once and was getting dizzy.

"There are so many amazing things!" she called to him. He was enjoying watching her so much he was having trouble keeping up. After a moment, Kyoko ran back to him.

"I found a map right up here that lists everything they have." She grabbed his hand and began to pull him in the direction she had indicated.

Ren smiled. This was one of the things he loved about her. Her child-like wonder.

"Wow, they certainly have a lot of different things." He said as they both stared at the map. "What should we do first?" he asked her.

"Um, um, maybe." Kyoko voice drifted off as she stared at one spot on the map. He followed her gaze and read the name of the attraction.

"Fairyland Boutique?"

Kyoko nodded eagerly, and Ren could see her eyes sparkling. "Then let's go." He said as he took her hand, and began leading her in that direction.

As they walked Kyoko wondered why this all felt so natural right now. _I should be nervous because he's holding my hand, but I don't. Maybe this means I'm getting better._

It turned out Fairyland Boutique was a store where they did special make up and face painting as well as sold fairy like costumes. Kyoko nearly fainted from excitement when she saw it all. "It's so beautiful…"

"Did you want to buy something?" Ren asked as he leaned down to her ear.

Kyoko looked unsure. "I really do, but I don't think I have enough money." She began looking at a sign nearby that listed prices for services and various items.

Ren sighed loudly enough to get her attention. She turned to look at him. _Is he going to scold me for something?_

Ren feigned surprise at her gaze. "What? Oh I was just disappointed because my _girlfriend_ doesn't want to let me spend money on her."

 _Step 2: let him buy me things._

"Okay then. But you might regret it." She said mischievously. "Don't blame me if I spend all your money." She turned and walked into the shop further to begin looking at things.

Ren stood frozen in place. _Was she flirting with me?_ He wondered before following her.

Kyoko was blushing furiously as she walked through the shop. _I can't believe I just said that to him. I figured if I tapped into Setsu then I wouldn't mind shopping on his money, but maybe I took it too far._

Suddenly a shop assistant interrupted Kyoko's thoughts. "Hello Miss, would you be interested in having your face done in our make up?" the woman gestured to a makeup counter filled with fancy looking bottles. She leaned in to examine it.

"Fairy Magic?"

The assistant nodded. "Yes, our brand is called Fairy Magic. We are having special sales on all our products for today only."

Kyoko looked uncertain. "I'm not sure I should."

Ren cleared his throat from behind her. He handed his credit card to the shop assistant. "Please put anything she would like on this."

The girl looked down at the credit card. "Ren Tsu-"

Ren put a finger to his lips. "I'm trusting you to be discreet. Just give her whatever she'd like." He patted Kyoko on the head gently.

She turned to look at him in shock, and was greeted with Ren's smile. "I'll be back for you in an hour. Try to enjoy yourself."

Kyoko sighed as he left the store. The shop assistant was staring after Ren. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asked Kyoko excitedly.

Kyoko nodded defeatedly.

"You are so lucky! Here let's have you come over here and I'll show you lots of stuff I'm sure you'll love."

 _Curse you, Ren. Now I really will spend all your money._

 **A/N: there's chapter 4! I'm already working on chapter 5. I hope you all are enjoying it, please leave a review of what you think. :) thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Dazzling Date Part 2

After leaving Kyoko to be pampered at the Fairy Boutique, Ren decided to walk around the nearby stores. _Maybe I can find something nice to get her._

He wandered around looking at the various shops. He found himself wandering into one that sold jewelry.

"Hello, young man. Is there something particular you're looking for?" The voice had come from an old man who looked to be the shop owner.

Ren was startled. "Um, no not really."

"Well, feel free to look around."

As Ren wandered around he wondered to himself why he had wanted to ask about engagement rings. _We've barely started dating. You can't think of proposing already. That would scare her away for sure._

Eventually an hour had passed, and Ren had bought a few small things including a souvenir for Yashiro, and a necklace for himself that had a small pendant hanging on a thin black chain. He hadn't been able to find anything he liked for Kyoko though.

He reentered the shop where he had left Kyoko and looked around for the shop assistant who had been helping her. She emerged from near the dressing rooms and spotted Ren immediately due to his height.

"Tsu- ah I mean. Sir."

He smiled as she handed him back his card. "And did you take good care of her?" he asked.

She smiled broadly. "We gave her everything she liked. She looks gorgeous. Hold on, I'll go get her."

Ren waited patiently as he glanced around at the items the shop had on display.

"Hello, Ren."

Ren turned and saw Kyoko. She had changed her clothes into a knee-length flowing ethereal dress, her make up was done in a way that made her skin sparkle, and her hair had been styled with sparkling hair clips in the shape of butterflies to pin it up.

He stared at her in stunned silence.

"Do I look okay? I hope I didn't buy too much, they just kept showing me such beautiful stuff." She stared up at him waiting for an answer.

Ren was speechless. He was having trouble finding something to say that didn't involve him sweeping her into his arms right there.

"Yes. It's fine." He spoke shortly and avoided meeting her eyes. He spotted a bag in her hands. "Is this the other stuff that you bought? Here let me carry it for you." He took it from her hands and made a beeline for the exit of the shop.

Kyoko quickly thanked the shop assistant before chasing after Ren. She found him down a small side street that had been left empty.

"You left so quickly. I had to thank them first. Are you okay?"

Suddenly, Ren was holding her in his arms. He whispered into her ear, "You look lovely. Just like a fairy princess."

Kyoko's breath caught in her throat at the tone of his voice. "Th-thank you."

He pulled away slightly and leaned down until his lips were less than an inch away from hers. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Several moments later the couple emerged from the empty street, both of their faces flushed. Kyoko wouldn't look at him because she knew she'd blush herself to death. Ren however was walking around the happiest he'd ever felt aside from when Kyoko had confessed her love.

He reached over and held Kyoko's hand. _I hadn't expected that kind of a reaction from him._ She thought as she glanced towards their hands.

As they walked, Ren contemplated what they should do next. Before he could decide on anything he heard Kyoko's stomach growl. He couldn't help laughing.

"Should we get something to eat then?" he asked her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You don't have to tease me like that." She said as she began walking towards some nearby food stands.

Ren followed quickly after her. "Such an attitude towards your senpai?" he asked jokingly.

Kyoko glared at him, and Ren put up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry. I just thought I'd be allowed to tease you a bit since I bought you all that nice stuff."

She looked sideways at him as she stepped into a line to order food. "You already got your reward." And Ren could see her mouth twist up in a smirk.

After buying their food they found a nearby table to sit at to eat. Kyoko had moved past Ren's teasing and was now excitedly talking to Ren about her experience in the fairy shop.

"They even offered to dye my hair or give me a wig because she said blond looked best for fairies, but I wasn't sure if it would look good for me." She looked at Ren and stared for a moment. "I wonder how you would look with blond-"

Ren froze for a moment, knowing what might come to her mind. _Please don't think of that._

Kyoko shook her head. "No, I think you look best with dark hair." She quickly resumed her eating as she tried to push that thought to the back of her mind. _He would look just like Corn if he had blond hair. Wait no, don't be silly and think those kind of things._

As they finished eating Kyoko stepped into a nearby bathroom to check her appearance. She found herself staring in the mirror for several minutes, before realizing that she was leaving Ren waiting outside.

She exited the bathroom and found him waiting on a bench nearby. He stood and the two of them began their journey through the various stalls and attractions yet again.

"Do you think Corn would be happy with how I look?" she asked suddenly. "Do you think I really look like a fairy?"

Ren paused for a moment. "Spin around."

She quickly spun in a circle, and Ren smiled again. "You definitely look like a fairy." He told her. Although a small part of him felt jealous that she was at all concerned with Corn right now.

 _Shouldn't she only be focused on me since we are on a date?_ He stopped. _What am I doing? I need to stop this getting jealous of myself._

Around four o'clock they both decided that they had had enough fun for the day and headed back to the car.

"Would you like to come back to my place for dinner?" he asked Kyoko as they settled into their seats.

Kyoko smiled. "That sounds like fun."

Ren was happy because he really wasn't ready to say good bye to her yet. When they got to his apartment building , they went into the grocery store located in the building to buy ingredients for dinner. After they made it back up to Ren's apartment Kyoko went to the bathroom to change while Ren set out the groceries.

 _Today was a lot of fun._ Kyoko mused as she changed out of her fairy dress. She carefully removed the clips from her hair but she couldn't bring herself to remove the make up just yet. _I don't know if I'll ever be able to make it look this perfect again, even if I did buy all of the same products._

She hung her head in shame thinking of all the money she must have spent. "I know! I'll take care of dinner and he can relax on the couch."

She hurried from the bathroom and saw Ren standing in the kitchen waiting for her. "I'll take care of preparing dinner. You can go sit down." She said as she began pushing him out of the kitchen.

"Are you sure I can't help at all?" he asked.

She pushed him to sit on the couch. "Wait here." She stepped back into the kitchen and returned with a drink for him. "Stay here, relax and I'll take care of dinner."

Ren couldn't help but laugh at his being banned from the kitchen. "I guess she just wants to take care of me." He paused, _wait a second. Isn't that how she treated Fuwa?_ He imagined Kyoko playing housekeeper while Fuwa just sat on the couch watching television.

 _I don't want her to treat me the way she treated him. That's what she never wanted to go back to._

He rose from where he sat and walked to the kitchen. He peaked in and saw Kyoko flitting around happily humming as she cooked. _Maybe I was wrong. She seems really happy._ He returned to his place on the couch. "I definitely wouldn't mind having her here every day."

When dinner was ready they sat down to eat while they watched some television. Kyoko was enjoying just being able to be with Ren. They finished their meal and Ren took their dishes to the sink.

"I'll take care of the dishes since you made dinner." He told her, since that was the way they normally did things.

Kyoko shook her head. "No, it's okay. I can take care of it. I really don't mind." She tried to push him out of the kitchen again.

Suddenly her mind flashed back to all the days of taking care of Sho. She cooked and cleaned and rejoiced over small moments together that meant nothing to him.

She stopped and felt herself sink to the ground. _What am I doing? I'm turning straight back into who I used to be. I fall in love and this is what happens to me._

Ren turned and saw Kyoko sinking to the ground. He knelt in front of her. "Are you okay, Kyoko?"

She was staring down and Ren saw a teardrop hit the floor.

"I don't know what's wrong with me…" he heard her whisper.

He could feel his heart breaking. "There's nothing wrong with you." He said as he pulled her to him.

 _She must've seen how she was acting. I should have said something sooner._

She looked up at Ren and although she had stopped crying he could see the tears in her eyes. "I don't know how to do this."

He stroked her hair. "That's not your fault. To be honest, this is new territory for me too."

She looked at him with a confused look.

He smiled at her. "Well I've never been in love before." He stood up and helped her to stand with him. "So how about we figure this out together?"

…

" _So how about we figure this out together?"_

Ren's words still rang clearly in Kyoko's thoughts as the two of them cleaned the dishes together. She was finally starting to see what their relationship could be like.

 _I don't have to be a maid, and he doesn't want me to be._ She smiled to herself as she watched Ren dry the last dish and put it away. He turned and saw her gazing at him.

"What?" he asked.

Kyoko laughed. "Nothing." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's already going to be nine-thirty. I guess I should head home."

Overhead they heard a loud crash of thunder. Ren stepped over to the television and turned on the weather report.

"It looks like we can expect heavy thunderstorms tonight with severe flooding in some areas. It is recommended that people stay inside and do not drive if they can avoid it." The weatherman was saying.

Ren felt a burst of happiness. Now she had an excuse to stay over. "Well," he said, carefully hiding the excitement from his voice. "It looks like I won't be able to drive you home tonight." He turned to look at Kyoko who had already gathered her things by the door.

"Don't worry, Ren. I'm sure I can still get a taxi before the rain gets too heavy."

"No." to Ren his voice sounded distant, possibly because his mind had already drifted back to a memory of a similar night not to long ago where she had taken a taxi and it had ended in disaster.

Kyoko looked at him uncertainly. "Why not?"

He shook his head. "You'll just have to stay here tonight. I don't think it's safe for you to go out in this storm."

Kyoko opened her mouth to object but gave up when she saw the worry in Ren's face. "Okay. If you think that's best."

He nodded. "I think I can find something for you to wear to bed. Why don't you go take a shower to warm yourself up? I'll leave the clothes by the door."

Kyoko sighed but quietly went to take her bath.

As she soaked in the warm water she found herself thinking about their conversation. _He looked so worried. What could he have been thinking of?_ Her memory flashed back to the accident. She sunk lower in the tub. _So that must be it._

When she finished her bath, Kyoko peaked out the bathroom door to see a small pile of some clothes for her to wear. She grabbed it and closed the bathroom door. _I might as well just keep some clothes here for the times I have to spend the night._

"That makes it sound like I'm living here." She looked at herself in the mirror. _Wrapped in his towel, standing in his bathroom, about to put on his clothes._

She felt herself blushing as she looked at the clothes he had given her. There was a long t-shirt and a pair of baggy shorts like what you'd wear to play sports. She dressed quickly realizing Ren still needed to take a shower as well. But when she saw her reflection again she blushed more.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Do those clothes work for you, Kyoko?" Ren called through the door.

She opened the door hesitantly. "Yes, they fit fine."

Ren couldn't help the smile on his face. She was certainly making him feel like they really did live together.

"They look good on you." He told her.

Kyoko looked away in response as she felt her blush returning. "You, um, you can shower now." She pointed towards the bathroom. Ren nodded and slipped past her.

Once he was inside the bathroom with the door securely guarding the space between them Ren sighed. _That made it hard to keep from attacking her. I have to keep control with her._ He leaned his head against the mirror. "She still needs a warning just for a kiss. I have to restrain myself until she's ready for anything more."

He sighed before undressing and climbing into the shower. As the water hit his back a though occurred to him. And he found himself wondering if it would be completely unacceptable to even hope she'd sleep in his bed.

Kyoko had served herself a mug of hot tea and settled on the couch to think while she listened to the rain. _How is a real relationship supposed to work?_ She wondered as she took a sip from her cup. _I don't want to fall back into being a woman who only cares about what the man she loves wants. But wait-_ Maybe she had found her answer. _Ren has never treated me badly or selfishly. He's always wanted what's best for me._

She set down her tea on the table and relaxed into the couch. She could feel herself getting tired. _Maybe I should go to bed… But where does he expect me to sleep?_

Kyoko drifted off to sleep as she considered the fact that she really wouldn't mind spending the night in Ren's arms.

When Ren finished his shower, he got dressed and exited the bathroom to go check on Kyoko. He wandered into the living room and saw Kyoko fast asleep on the couch. He smiled as he watched her sleeping peacefully. After a moment, he scooped her into his arms and took her to his bedroom.

 _We'll just sleep here. She won't object to that right?_ He told himself as he settled into bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her as he felt himself drifting to sleep.

 **A/N: so I hope you all enjoyed chapter 5. I really enjoyed writing their date! The first few chapters were mostly to help Kyoko figure out how their relationship should be but from here on out its just going to get crazier.**

 **Also I already have plans for parts 3 and 4 of this story and I think everyone will really enjoy them. I love when I get reviews as they encourage me to write more! So if you have a moment to type one it is much appreciated! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: here's chapter 6! I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 6: The Morning After

Kyoko awoke feeling well-rested. It had been a while since she had slept so comfortably. She looked down and realized that she wasn't sleeping in her own bed. Then she spotted an arm wrapped around her waist.

 _Where am I?_ She turned her head and found herself face to face with a sleeping Ren Tsuruga. Her eyes went wide and she scrambled out of his grasp and fell into the floor.

Ren awoke at the loud thump he had heard. His mind whirled as he tried to remember what had happened the prior night.

"Kyoko?" he asked as he sat up and looked toward the side of the bed.

Kyoko peered over the edge of the bed, and Ren could see that her face was very red. _Why was I in Tsuruga-san's bed?_ Slowly her mind settled and her explanation was clear. She had completely forgotten that they were together now and that she had stayed the night.

Ren smirked at her as he saw realization come over her face before she slowly sunk back down to the floor.

She felt more humiliated now at her dramatic reaction. _It would've been better if I had just stayed on the bed until I remembered._

"Are you just going to stay down there?" Ren called to her in a teasing tone. He watched as Kyoko's head popped back up and she slowly climbed back onto the bed.

She stared at her hands as she played with the blanket. Ren smiled as he watched her. She still had a slight red tinge to her skin, and her hair was messy, and her lips looked so kissable.

He reached out a hand and gently pushed some of her hair away from her face. "Do I get a good morning kiss?" he asked. Kyoko looked at him and she saw the flirty smile on his face.

He was enjoying teasing her too much. _I can play that game too._ She smiled at him sweetly and nodded. "But you have to close your eyes."

Ren obeyed quickly feeling slightly reminiscent of when she had been going to kiss Corn to break his curse. He waited patiently to feel her lips connect with his. Instead he was greeted with a pillow to his face.

Kyoko froze for a moment uncertain how Ren would react to this childish behavior she had started. He opened his eyes and stared at her for a second before an impish light sparkled in his eyes.

She reacted quickly realizing Ren could move faster than her and she jumped off the bed and ran from the room slamming the door behind her. She heard the sound of her boyfriend jumping out of the bed and racing to go after her.

 _What have I done?_ She wondered as she ducked to hide behind the couch. _Now he's gonna think it's a game. He has to catch me to get his kiss._ Just as she was thinking this, she got a feeling of someone watching her and looked up.

As she did so Ren took advantage and leaned down to kiss her. He laughed at the stunned expression on her face. "I caught you." He whispered.

Kyoko pouted visibly as she stood from what she thought had been a good hiding spot.

"If you keep pouting like that I'm going to kiss you again…" Ren threatened in a voice filled with Emperor of the night.

Kyoko straightened her face into a smile. "Well, we don't really have time for such things." She told him in what she hoped was a calm voice. He watched as she marched away and he heard the bathroom door close behind her.

Ren had to admit as he stepped back into his room to get dressed for work, that he definitely liked this playful side of Kyoko. _It's normally something she would only show to Corn. Maybe it's proof that we've grown closer._

As Kyoko prepared their breakfast, Ren took care to set the table. He had just finished when his phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID. _The president…_ he sighed as he answered the phone.

"Good morning, President," Ren greeted him.

"Good morning, Ren, my dear boy."

Ren cringed at the president's tone. He was far too happy but trying hard to fake a serious tone.

"What can I help you with so early this morning?"

"Well, I just thought it might interest you to know the current rumor about you that is circulating." The President was toying with him like how Yashiro always did when there was exciting information to be shared.

"I'm not particularly interested." Ren replied.

"Even if it concerns Kyoko?"

Ren closed his eyes. _Why did things always happen at the worst times? Everything was going so well this morning._ "What is it?"

"It would seem someone saw you two out on a date yesterday. You were buying Kyoko a lot of nice things and of course when your using a credit card with your name on it-"

Ren sighed in frustration. "How bad is it?"

Lory Takarada laughed, "Well, there was no solid proof. Just the words of a star struck employee so I was able to take care of it. But don't be surprised if you have more people watching you now. People recognize you but no one recognizes her yet. If you two are serious about keeping it a secret, you'll need to be more careful."

Just as Ren was going to respond he heard Kyoko call to him from the kitchen. "Ren, I can't reach the pan I need, can you come help?"

Ren could hear the president gasp on the other end of the phone. "I'll be right there!" he called to Kyoko.

"Ren, did she stay the night?" Lory's voice was filled with implications that Ren did not appreciate.

"Yes, she did. Don't get so excited, nothing happened. Now if you'll excuse me," Ren said seriously before hanging up the phone.

He re-entered the kitchen and saw Kyoko standing on a chair trying to reach a high shelf. She started to slip and Ren steadied her by grabbing her waist before carefully lowering her to the ground.

"Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you tried that?" he asked in a seductive voice as he reached up to get down the pan she was reaching for.

Kyoko couldn't help but blush as she flashed back to the night they had play acted as Katsuki and Mizuki. "Thank you," she said as she took the pan from his hands.

When they sat down to eat, Ren figured it was time to discuss his call from the president. He cleared his throat before speaking. Kyoko looked up at him.

"The president called me earlier."

Kyoko raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What did he say?"

"Well, apparently after our date yesterday there were some rumors started about me having a girlfriend." He watched as Kyoko took in this information.

Her face darkened in gloom and she hung her head. "I'm so sorry, Ren. I shouldn't have had us go somewhere where you could be so easily recognized."

Ren tilted her face up to look at him. "I'm pretty sure it's my fault we were discovered. I was the one who gave my credit card to the shop assistant. So that's probably where the rumors started. But don't worry, the president was able to handle it."

"He was?"

Ren nodded. "But he did say that if we are serious about keeping this a secret we'll have to do better."

Kyoko nodded her head enthusiastically. "I'll work even harder to keep it a secret."

Soon it was time for Ren to head into work. Since Kyoko was free in the morning she was going to school so he offered to drop her off at Darumaya. When they pulled up near the restaurant he grabbed her hand, stopping her from exiting the car. She looked at him questioningly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He looked down at their hands. "Is it really so important that we keep this a secret? Would it be so bad if people found out?"

He looked into her eyes and she could see the seriousness in his own. "I just- I think it's best right now."

"Why is it so important? Please just tell me. I know it's not just about my fans."

Kyoko struggled to find an answer. She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. _If I tell him the real reason he'll be angry._

"Uh, it's getting late. You have to get going or you'll be late for work!" she pulled her hand out of his, and climbed out of the car quickly. "Have a good day at work, Ren!" she smiled at him before hurrying inside of her home.

Once in her room she sighed as she slid into a seated position by her door. "I can't tell him about the deal I made with Sho." She looked up and saw the poster of her rival. "Curse you Shotaro! Why do you still have to be ruining my life?!"

She turned to the poster of Ren. "I'm sorry. I just don't want you to hate me."

Kyoko looked at the clock and realized it was getting late if she was going to get to school. She cried out in frustration at her own distraction and hurriedly dressed into her school uniform before running outside and jumping on her bike.

 _I promise, Ren, I'll tell you everything once I figure out how to fix this._

All day Ren felt distracted. He was having to work harder to focus on his job instead of his relationship. Yashiro noticed that something was up and decided he should say something.

"Ren, is everything okay with Kyoko-chan?" he asked as they drove to their next job.

Ren sighed. _I guess I might as well tell somebody._ "Technically, everything is great."

"And not technically?"

"She wants to keep our relationship a secret so badly, but it seems it would be easier on us both to have it out in the open."

Yashiro nodded thoughtfully as he listened to his friend's dilemma. "What did she say when you asked her about it?"

"Up till today she'd been saying it was to prevent me losing fans, but today I asked for her real reason. She escaped before I got my answer though."

 _Escaped?_ Yashiro sometimes wondered at the way Ren phrased things.

"Maybe she's concerned people with look down on her talent saying that she only gets jobs because she's dating you." He suggested.

"That could be," Ren agreed.

They pulled in at the next studio and Ren leaned his head on the steering wheel. Yashiro reached over and put a comforting hand on Ren's shoulder. "It'll all be okay. I'm sure you can talk to her and work things out."

Ren looked up and Yashiro gave him an encouraging smile. "Now get yourself together! You have work."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's chapter 7! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This one is dedicated to MyLuckTookaWalk because you motivated me. :) thanks for your kind words.**

Chapter 7: Revealing the Deal

It had been just over a week since the warning from the president and Kyoko was taking it seriously. Since their date she hadn't gone over to Ren's apartment. They had made date plans for one day but Kyoko had canceled last minute and Ren was starting to feel neglected.

They had been talking on the phone most days for at least a short time but it was always the same. How was work? Did you eat today? What's your schedule tomorrow? Finally Ren had had enough. He asked her for her schedule and the next day planned to ambush her during a break in her work day.

 _She mentioned having LoveMe work this afternoon so she should be here._ He thought to himself as he crept through the halls of LME. Which was a very difficult thing to do when you're so tall and so famous.

As he turned a corner he heard Kyoko's voice as a nearby door opened, and quickly hid.

"Yes! Thank you very much. I hope things go well." Kyoko bowed as she stepped out of the conference room she had been serving tea and coffee to. She turned and put away her LoveMe stamp book. _Well, that went well._

She turned the corner and was suddenly grabbed with a hand clapped over her mouth. She struggled as the person behind her dragged her into an empty office nearby. She bit down hard on the hand over her mouth.

Ren let out a cry of pain and jerked his hand away.

Kyoko spun around. "Tsuruga-san!" she cried as she threw herself to the floor in a dogeza. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was you."

Ren leaned down to Kyoko. "It's okay. I was the one to blame. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that." He glanced at his injured hand. "At least the skin's not broken." He muttered.

Kyoko grabbed his hand. "Should I get you some ice?"

Ren shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"What did you need me for?" she asked as she released his hand.

Ren sighed. "Can we sit?" he asked as he gestured to the chairs surrounding the conference table.

Kyoko nodded and they sat together. She watched him as she waited for him to speak.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Kyoko opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when she saw the look on his face.

"Look, you've been avoiding me for over a week." He reached out and took her hand. "Talking to you on the phone is great but it'd be nice to spend time with you again."

Kyoko looked down at their hands. "I-I'm not trying to avoid you."

"Don't you think it looks more suspicious if we suddenly aren't seeing each other at all? Even before we were dating we saw each other more than this."

She knew he was right. "I'm sorry. I'll try not to be so paranoid anymore. I'll just treat you like how we used to act."

 _That's not what I wanted either…_ he sighed again. "Okay, but you have to come over to cook dinner for me tomorrow night."

Kyoko opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it. _I'm already asking so much of him._ "All right. I think I can do that. What time will you be getting home tomorrow?"

"Around nine I think." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Here's a key for my apartment. In case you want to get there early to cook or something."

He stood up. "I have to get going. But I'll see you tomorrow." He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "I love you, Kyoko." He kissed her lips quickly before leaving the room.

Kyoko collapsed into her chair. "It would be easier if we could just tell everyone. Then we could at least act normal." She stared down at the key card in her hand. _Aaah! Now it's like we're lovers or something._ She felt her face flush red as she thought to herself.

As Kyoko thought, she began to walk back to the LoveMe section. When she entered the room she saw her best friend currently yelling at somebody on the phone.

"I told you! I am not interested. No not even one date. Now leave me alone!" she hung up the phone angrily and slammed it onto the table. "Why can't he take a hint, Mo!"

She looked up and saw Kyoko standing before her with watery eyes and a goofy smile on her face.

"Moko!" Kyoko flung herself around Moko. "You're here!"

Moko pushed her away. "Yeah, I'm here I get it. Don't smother me."

Kyoko smiled up at her. "It's been a while since I've seen you. Have you been working on your new drama?"

Moko nodded and sat down in a chair. "Yeah, but it's even more annoying than the last one."

"What's wrong?" Kyoko looked at her with such concern that it made Moko want to laugh.

"It's nothing that serious. There's just this guy who keeps hitting on me. He wants to go out on a date."

"Is he one of your co-stars? Or maybe a crew member?" Kyoko was taking this very seriously. "If that's the case couldn't the director set him straight."

Moko shook her head. "The director can't do anything about it because he's the one harassing me."

Kyoko tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Who is?"

"The director. He's new to the business and he's young and thinks that because he's had one good movie all the girls should be throwing themselves at him."

An image of Sho appeared in Kyoko's head and she brushed it away. "If he gets out of hand you could always ask Hio-kun to come help you." She laughed thinking of the little boy who had a crush on her friend.

Moko glared at her. "It's all right. I can handle it." Her face softened. "Oh, that's right. How are things with you and Tsuruga-san?"

A gloom fell over Kyoko and Moko immediately regretted asking. _Well, I caused this…_ "What's wrong?"

"I just," she sighed, "I can't do it."

Confusion flooded Moko's eyes. "Can't do what?"

"I can't tell him the truth. He wants to know why we can't have a relationship that everyone knows about. And why I'm working so hard to keep it a secret." Kyoko wiped a tear from her face. "I've been avoiding him. I'm a terrible girlfriend."

Moko looked irritable as she tried to cover her concern. "Well? I can't help you unless I know why you're keeping it a secret, so spill."

Kyoko smiled at her best friend. "Thank you!" she took a deep breath and then began explaining her deal with Sho.

"So, if he finds out that you are dating Tsuruga-san then he'll force you to move back to his parents Inn and work there?" Moko confirmed as she tried to get her head to stop spinning. "And you don't want to tell Tsuruga-san because he gets mad when you mention Fuwa?"

Kyoko nodded weakly. "I just don't know what to do and no matter what Ren will end up hating me."

Moko grabbed hold of Kyoko's shoulders. "You said he loves you, right?"

Kyoko nodded.

"Then tell him. He'll get over the Fuwa thing. He won't get over it if you keep lying to him."

Kyoko looked enlightened. "You're right Moko! You're always right!"

Moko pushed her friend away again. "Stop praising me with that look on your face." She gave her a small smile. "Just take care of things with him. You've been happier being with him. It's good for you."

The next day when Kyoko left school she headed straight to the grocery store to buy ingredients for dinner. As she shopped she struggled to figure out how she could tell Ren about Sho.

 _Do I just come out and say it? Maybe there's something I can get him to make him happy before I break it to him. If it was Sho I could just buy pudding. Darn it, why does Ren have to dislike eating so much?!_

She checked out with her ingredients for dinner and as a special treat ingredients to make an angel food cake. "Maybe he'll be able to eat this."

She soon found herself at the door to Ren's apartment. She debated on entering. "I'd better ring the bell first." She pushed the button three times waiting a few minutes in between each one, and when she was finally satisfied that Ren wasn't there she let herself in.

As she stepped into the residence she realized how different the place felt when Ren wasn't with her. She turned on the necessary lights and found herself turning on the TV to add some noise so that she wasn't quite as lonely.

"It's almost kind of creepy being here alone." She said as she tied on the apron she had brought with her. "Well, I guess I should get started."

Kyoko began with making the cake from scratch. Once it was in the oven she prepared the whipped cream, also from scratch, and chopped up the fruits she had bought to go on top.

Next she began preparing and cooking the dinner. She had everything timed out perfectly so that it would be ready just as Ren walked through the door. She smiled as she thought about greeting him as he arrived home from work, already being inside of his apartment, not waiting to surprise him out on the street.

"It's almost like I'm his wife," she muttered. She let her thoughts distract her and soon one of the sauces was boiling over.

She hurriedly cleaned up the mess all the while scolding herself for being distracted by such ridiculous thoughts.

She sighed. "Besides, you don't even deserve to call yourself that. You haven't been a very good girlfriend."

"Why don't you let your boyfriend decide if you've been a good girlfriend."

Kyoko spun around and saw Ren standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "You're home. But it's not nine yet." She said softly as she saw that the clock read only 8:10.

Ren laughed. "You sound disappointed that I'm here early."

Kyoko blushed. "It's not that!" she looked down. "It's just that dinner won't be ready for another hour almost. "

He stepped forward and pulled her into a one armed hug. "I don't mind waiting." He kissed the top of her head and watched for her to blush again. He wasn't disappointed.

Kyoko pushed him away. "Why don't you go change or something then?"

Ren laughed again. "All right, I'll go shower."

As Ren entered his bedroom to put his things down he sat down on the bed. _She made me feel like we were a married couple and she was my wife._ He sighed happily as he thought of the surprised look she'd had on her face at seeing him. He realized that if he wanted to enjoy this as much as possible he needed to be quick about his shower, so he headed straight to the bathroom.

Kyoko moved quickly through the kitchen trying to get things organized to finish as quickly as she could. When she had just finished setting the table, Ren emerged from his room with a towel wrapped around his neck as he dried his still wet hair. He smiled at her happily.

"D-dinner is ready." She stuttered out as she tried to focus past his smile.

Ren sat down with her at the table, at the moment he felt he could happily eat anything as long as she was there with him.

"How was work today?" Kyoko asked as she sat down next to him.

"It went well." He replied. "We were able to finish the entire commercial shoot today."

Kyoko nodded. "That's good that there weren't any delays."

"You didn't have work today, right? Just school?"

Kyoko nodded her head. "Yeah, it was nice to actually be able to attend a whole day of school again."

Ren smiled at her and Kyoko felt her guilt rise up. She looked down at her plate. "I'm sorry, Ren."

"Sorry?"

She looked back at him. "Yes, I'm sorry for having lied to you."

 _Where is this coming from?_ He wondered.

"There is a reason why I don't want people to know about us yet."

 _Oh, so that's what it is._ "And you're ready to tell me what it is?"

Kyoko nodded. "Moko said that it would be better to tell you and let you get mad at me and get over it than to keep lying and make you hate me."

He could hear her voice shaking as she spoke. _Is she really so terrified of me?_ Ren touched Kyoko's hand. "I would never hate you."

She pulled her hand away and sighed. "The reason we can't tell people is because of Sho."

He could feel anger well up inside of him at the mention of Sho but tried hard to control it.

"What about him?" Ren asked carefully.

"I made a deal with him. That I wouldn't fall in love with you."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Irresistible Invitation

" _I made a deal with him. That I wouldn't fall in love with you."_

Ren's head was spinning. What was she talking about? Who made those kind of deals?

"How long ago was that?" he found himself asking though he knew it didn't really matter.

"Do you remember the day you saw me with him? In between our acting as the Heel siblings." She was nearly whispering, terrified that if she spoke too loudly it would set him off. The image flashed in her mind of when he had thrown her phone after Sho called her.

Ren was silent as he thought back to the day she spoke of. Kyoko glanced at him when he didn't respond. He noticed her stare.

"Yes, I remember that day." He breathed deeply as he tried to calm himself. "What kind of deal did you make?"

Kyoko sunk into a deep gloom. "I promised that if I fell for you I would return to Kyoto with my tail between my legs and serve for the rest of my life as a waitress at his parents inn."

Ren clapped a hand to his face. _She really made such a deal? Was she so determined not to fall for me?_

"I'm so sorry, Ren."

Ren shook his head to clear his thoughts. "So, is that what you plan to do then? Or just keep our relationship a secret for the rest of your life?" he was frustrated. But he knew he needed to calm down. He stood up and took his plate to the kitchen.

Kyoko stayed seated as she listened to the water running. _Now he's going to hate me for sure._

Ren sighed as he watched the water flowing down the drain. Even now Fuwa was still controlling her life. _Is he more important to her than me?_

He stopped for a moment as he realized something. _Even when I was Corn, her promises to Ren Tsuruga meant more than anything._

He re-entered the living room and saw Kyoko sitting on the floor next to the table with her head buried in her arms. He sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay." He whispered.

She looked up at him. "I can't believe I made such a stupid promise. I was just so sure that I'd never be able to be with you, I figured it wouldn't ever be a problem."

 _What kind of pedestal does this girl put me on?_ He wondered as he thought over all the ways she had praised him to other people.

He placed a hand under her chin and tilted her face up so he could meet her lips with his. He pulled away slightly and she kept her eyes closed. "Kyoko," he said softly, "Will you make me a promise?"

She opened her eyes and he saw a fierce seriousness in her eyes. "Anything."

Ren smiled. "Don't ever leave me." He pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

"I won't ever leave you, Ren Tsuruga."

The next night, Ren found himself in the President's office after work. He was tired and a little irritable after having worked a long day and then being summoned up here when he was just about ready to head home.

Lory Takarada sat watching his young talent in front of him. "So," he began and Ren could hear the excitement in his voice. "How are things going with Kyoko?"

Ren lowered his head as a dark cloud formed around him.

Lory stared at him in shock. "Don't tell me you messed up and she dumped you already?"

Ren glared at him. "That's what you automatically assume?" he shook his head. "I found out why she's keeping us a secret."

Lory raised his eyebrows. "And what might that be?"

"She made a deal with Sho Fuwa that she wouldn't fall in love with me." He stood up and began to pace. "And if she did fall for me, she declared that she would return to Kyoto." He paused. "And spend the rest of her days working at his parents' inn."

He turned and saw the shocked look on the President's face. "She really made that sort of promise?"

Ren nodded as he collapsed back onto the couch. "I don't know how to get past it and make her realize what she said to him doesn't matter."

"Just give her time, I'm sure she'll get tired of it being secret after a while."

"The waiting isn't exactly easy." Ren admitted.

"Speaking of such thing!" Lory exclaimed suddenly. He took a paper from the ever present Sebastian. "I'm hosting a Halloween party and I wanted you and Kyoko to attend. Of course it's open to all LME employees but I thought it might interest you particularly." He held out the paper to Ren.

Ren took the flyer from the president and examined it. "A Halloween Masquerade Ball?"

The president nodded his head excitedly. "I thought the two of you could attend together."

Ren looked uncertain.

"How can she refuse when you both will be wearing disguises?"

Ren couldn't argue with that logic, and he hoped Kyoko wouldn't either.

Ren didn't see Kyoko until two days after his conversation with the president. He had considered asking her about the masquerade on the phone but thought better of it. _I'm not letting her out of this no matter what excuses she comes up with._

They had agreed to meet for lunch and were eating at a small café near the agency. Yashiro was sitting at a table nearby in case any fans decided to try and talk to Ren. _I won't let them interrupt his few moments with Kyoko-chan!_

"Here you go," Kyoko said as she returned to the table carrying a tray with drinks on it for the three of them. She turned and gave one to Yashiro.

"I took the liberty of ordering something for you as well. Are you sure you don't want to sit with us?" she offered.

Yashiro accepted the drink but shook his head. "No, I have work to do over here." He gestured to the stack of papers he had on the table in front of him and Kyoko nodded.

She returned to the table where Ren was sitting.

"You didn't have to go and buy the drinks. I could've done it." He told her as he took his drink.

Kyoko shook her head. "I couldn't let you do that. You're still my senpai."

"But I'm also your boyfriend."

Kyoko blushed. "Yes, but still."

Ren sighed. "Well, I asked you here to talk to you about something."

She nodded. "What did you want to talk about?"

Ren took a breath trying to steady his nerves. "The president is hosting a masquerade ball at the end of October. It's only for LME employees, and I was wondering if you'd be my date?"

"A masquerade ball?" Kyoko felt her heart flutter at the thought. Surely that was something a princess got to go to.

Ren nodded. "So, will you?"

"Will I what?"

 _So she did stop listening after hearing masquerade ball…_ He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. "Will you be my date?"

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, Ren, I don't know-"

"We'd be disguised. So no one would know it was us."

He could see the wheels turning in her brain as she thought.

"I don't have anything I could wear though. And I don't have money to buy a costume." She argued.

Ren smirked. He'd been hoping she'd say that. "That's why I'm buying you one. I have someone who can make us both costumes for it."

Kyoko struggled for another argument but couldn't find one. "I guess, then, my answer is yes."

"Perfect." He replied taking another sip from his drink. He almost choked on it though when he looked over Kyoko's shoulder and saw Yashiro cheering silently at his table. _He sat just close enough to hear our conversation._

A few days later, Kyoko wandered around a fancy shopping district in a new upscale neighborhood. She had taken the bus as far as it would take her and was now searching for the shop Ren had told her about. She had the address written on a piece of paper along with a single name.

"Miki?" she said aloud. "I wonder what sort of person she is."

Finally Kyoko looked up and saw the address she needed on a nearby shop front. She entered the shop timidly and froze the moment she took in what was inside. The room was filled with beautiful gowns (mostly of the wedding variety) on display.

"It's so beautiful!" she squealed as she pranced around gazing at the different designs. "It's like a princess paradise!"

She heard a laugh from behind her and turned to see a beautiful woman watching her.

The woman had long blonde hair with streaks of blue and purple threaded through it. Her hair was tied into two long braids that rested on her shoulders. She had large blue eyes that glittered behind her glasses. Kyoko guessed her to be in her twenties but wasn't sure.

She bowed quickly in apology. "Hello, I'm Kyoko. I'm looking for Miki-san." She greeted before letting her gaze return to the woman before her.

The woman smiled. "Hello, Kyoko-chan. I'm Miki. Ren-kun sent you, right?"

Kyoko nodded. "He said you could help me with my costume for the upcoming masquerade."

Miki took Kyoko's hand. "Why don't we step into my office and discuss what you're looking for?"

Kyoko followed her, still in a daze. What sort of magical place had Ren sent her to?

They entered an office and she saw a modern style desk with two comfy chairs on either side. Book cases lined the back walls and the others were covered in pictures of models in beautiful dresses.

Miki led Kyoko to her chair. "Would you like something to drink, Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko shook her head. "Oh, no thank you. I'm fine."

Miki sat down in her own chair. "So, Ren-kun mentioned that I'd be designing outfits for both of you and that you were going to decide on both designs."

Kyoko stared at her in shock. "I'm picking his too?"

The older woman laughed as she nodded. "Yes! He said to let you pick whatever you wanted. Oh," she paused as she tapped a finger to her chin looking thoughtful, "and I'm not supposed to tell you the prices on anything."

Kyoko scowled. "Of course he'd say that." She thought back to the outrageously expensive outfit he had almost bought Setsu without blinking am eye. _Now he's trying to trick me into buying something that expensive._

"I see you don't like his way of doing things?" Miki giggled. "Don't worry. I'm sure he just wants you to have your dream dress."

She pulled out a sketchbook and a pencil. "Now what kind of dress did you have in mind?"

 **A/N: only a few more chapters left to this story... but not to worry! I'm planning parts 3 & 4 of this already. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm hoping to past the last chapters pretty soon so be on the look out and if you're able please leave a review to motivate me! Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: An Enchanted Evening Part 1

Kyoko stared in wonder as she looked at the design Miki had drawn for her. It was a beautiful design that reminded her of Cinderella but a bit more modern.

It was love at first sight, and Miki could tell. She always loved when someone showed such enthusiasm and she knew that this girl in front of her was destined to be a princess.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

Kyoko nodded her head emphatically. "It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen."

Miki could be satisfied with that answer. She smiled. "Should we go look at fabrics now?"

Kyoko's face lit up. "Fabrics?"

They left the office and Miki took her to a special store room where she kept every color of fabric available. She and Kyoko moved through the room slowly as the younger girl examined each of her choices.

"They're all so beautiful! I don't know which one to choose." Kyoko told her when they finally finished looking through the choices.

Miki looked thoughtful for a moment. "I do have one more. It was some material sent to me by mistake. They let me keep it though but so far I haven't had a use for it. Let me get it."

She left the room and returned a few minutes later with a large box. She placed it on the floor in front of Kyoko and removed the tape. Kyoko opened the box and gasped.

The fabric inside the box was a deep blue-violet color with gold undertones. She picked it up and ran it through her fingers. It was soft and silky, and as the light hit it it almost seemed to give off a different color completely.

"Corn…" Kyoko whispered. She looked at Miki, "This is it. It has to be this one."

Miki beamed. "Then this is what we'll use."

By the time they finished their meeting, Kyoko had picked out accenting materials and a design for Ren's matching costume. Miki hugged her as they said their goodbyes and reminded Kyoko that they had another appointment the following week. Kyoko turned to leave but turned back around.

"Miki-chan, Do you think you could keep everything a secret from Ren? I don't want him to know what any of the stuff is going to look like until it's ready."

Miki clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes! I love surprises."

Kyoko bowed to her. "Thank you so much!" before straightening and leaving the shop.

Miki smiled to herself as she walked back into her workshop to begin her work. "He certainly found himself a lovely girl."

That night Kyoko and Ren chatted on the phone after he got home from work.

"So how did it go?" he asked. He was hoping Kyoko had enjoyed herself and not stressed about spending his money.

"It was wonderful!" Kyoko said excitedly. "I found the perfect stuff and Miki-chan is an amazing designer."

Ren chuckled, "I'm guessing the two of you got along well then?"

"She was so sweet." She paused for a moment. "How do you know Miki-chan?"

"She didn't tell you?" he asked.

"It didn't come up," she replied as she waited for the story.

"We went out once." He said cautiously. "It was when I was eighteen and the President asked me to take her on a date because she was the daughter of a friend of his."

"Oh, that's nice." Kyoko responded stiffly. She wasn't sure why but it bothered her that he had sent her to an ex-girlfriend of his.

"Kyoko, look," he said gently. "She and I were only ever friends. But she's the best designer I know and I figured you would get along with her."

Kyoko nodded to herself. "I know." She shoved the jealousy she had felt away. "Thank you for letting me pick out our costumes." She told him, as she changed the subject.

"Right, what designs did you choose? Did you already pick colors?" he asked curiously.

Kyoko laughed and Ren was relieved to hear her being herself again. "It's a surprise. You aren't allowed to know or see it until the night of the masquerade."

Ren sighed dramatically. "Fine. Keep your secrets." He pouted and Kyoko almost gave in as she imagined the cute puppy dog face she knew he was capable of making.

"You'd better get some sleep. Good night, Ren."

Ren smiled. "Good night, Kyoko. I love you."

"I love you too."

A few days later Ren was at Miki's shop to have his measurements taken. As she measured him they talked pleasantly.

"She's nice by the way." Miki said suddenly.

Ren looked at her questioningly.

She laughed. "Your girlfriend, Kyoko-chan. She's really pretty too."

Ren smiled. "She's not my-" he started to argue but trailed off when he saw her look.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything. I'm good at secrets." She put a finger to her lips.

"Speaking of secrets," Ren began, "Can you show me the design for our costumes?"

Miki shook her head as she rolled up her measuring tape. "Nope. Kyoko-chan said it's a surprise, and I can't go back on my word to her." She grinned at him. "Besides, I like her better than you."

She turned and walked away with her papers. Ren walked over to a chair and sat down. "I guess I'll just have to wait and be surprised then."

The day had finally arrived for the masquerade ball, after a few weeks of fittings, including one during which Ren had to wear a blindfold to prevent him from seeing what his costume looked like. The plan had been for Kyoko to go to work and finish by the mid afternoon, then she would return home to get ready for the ball. Ren had taken care of arrangements to have each of their costumes delivered to their separate homes the day of the ball.

As the day went on Kyoko felt more and more excited, so she was very disappointed when she reached the set for her final job of the day. She arrived at 3 o'clock and they were supposed to film scenes for a commercial for three hours before she would leave to get ready. However, the director was nowhere to be found.

"You mean, the director isn't here yet?" Kyoko asked the assistant director when it had reached four o'clock.

The timid assistant shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He said, "I called her but it went to her voicemail. Please wait just a bit longer."

Kyoko sat down away from the other crew members and actors who were waiting. She dialed Ren's number.

"This is Ren." He answered.

"I don't know if I'll make it tonight." She said anxiously.

"Kyoko? What's going on?"

She sighed. "I'm at my commercial shoot but the director is over an hour late."

"So you'll be delayed."

"Yes, but I'm not sure how late I'll be." She told him.

There was a commotion near the studio entrance and Kyoko looked up.

A well dressed woman entered the studio, walking quickly as her heels clicked against the ground. "I'm sorry I'm late! Please let's get started. We are behind schedule so expect to be here later than we had planned."

"I have to go, the director is here. It looks like I won't get out of here until seven. And then I still have to go home and get ready. Maybe you should just go without me."

Ren was going to respond but he heard more voices on Kyoko's end. "I have to go. Bye." She whispered as she hung up.

Ren sighed and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. _It really is like the whole world is working against us._ Then he got an idea. He dialed the president's number.

"Hello, President. I have a request to ask you."

A couple of hours into filming, Kyoko decided to check her phone since she was on a short break. A message icon popped up on her screen. _A text message?_ She clicked through to open it and was delighted to see a message from Ren.

" _Kyoko, I've arranged for you to be able to get ready in the President's office when you finish working. Your dress will be waiting their for you."_

She smiled as she read his words. _He's always taking care of me._ She quickly typed a response.

" _Thank you so much! I can meet you at the party then. You can go on ahead when you're ready."_ She clicked send and returned to filming with a renewed excitement. Tonight Ren would finally see her dress, and she would get to see him in his costume.

She finally finished work and had changed into her regular clothes by 7:30. The party had begun at seven so she knew she would probably be about two hours late after getting ready. She took a taxi back to the agency and quickly headed to the President's office.

Kyoko knocked on the door and waited a moment before it was opened and she was greeted by Sebastian.

He bowed to her before leading her into one of the rooms of the office. Inside she saw the room was set up as a complete dressing room, with a make up table and hanging against one wall was a large black garment bag.

She was so stunned by the room that she almost didn't notice the three women watching her. One of them cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Kyoko-san. We are here to do your hair, make up, and nails to help you get ready for the ball. If you're ready we can begin now."

"Really?" she clasped her hands together as she went into la-la land. "I really feel like Cinderella now!" she skipped over to the chair and sat down and relaxed as the women did their work.

An hour and a half later, Kyoko exited her dressing room fully dressed in her masquerade gown. She saw the president waiting nearby his eyes filling with tears when he saw her.

"You look beautiful, Kyoko-chan!" he cried.

Kyoko laughed and spun in a circle. "Do you think he'll like it?"

The president nodded. "He's going to fall for you all over again."

Kyoko blushed. The president held out her mask to her. It was a beautiful blue-violet to match the dress, with golden swirls around the edges. She took it and put it on careful to avoid damaging her make up.

She heard the clock nearby chiming 9 o'clock and gasped. "I'd better go. I don't want to keep Ren waiting." She said and she quickly bid goodbye to the president before leaving the room.

When she made it outside of the agency she saw a long black stretch limo awaiting her and Sebastian was waiting next to it. She stepped to the car's side. "Is this for me?" she asked.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, Mogami-san. I will be your driver for the way to the party."

He held open the door for her and she climbed inside, secretly wishing that the night would never end.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: An Enchanted Evening Part 2

Ren was standing around in a crowded ballroom of a five star hotel. The biggest ballroom, the one with a grand staircase at the entrance, and a partial second floor that looked down on the first, and had balconies leading off the first floor to look out onto the garden; had been picked out especially by the president for the masquerade.

Ren's costume made him look like a prince. With a white dress shirt, covered with a gold vest, and a jacket and pants made from the blue-violet material Kyoko had found. He had known immediately why Kyoko had picked this. The color matched her stone perfectly.

He was grateful for his mask and the rumor he and Yashiro had started, because it was leaving the two of them in peace. The week leading up to the masquerade they had both made sure to inform as many people as possible that he would be out of town and unable to attend the grand event. Now they were able to stand and talk, disguised and uninterrupted.

As they stood talking, Yashiro glanced at the large clock that hung on the wall.

"It's almost 9:30. I wonder when she'll get here." He mused aloud.

Ren nodded. He was getting more anxious to see her with every minute that ticked by. The ball room was rented until three in the morning but he didn't think they'd stay that long and he wanted to be with her as long as possible.

He turned to Yashiro, "I'm going to go get another drink." He said as he gestured to his now empty cup. Yashiro nodded and Ren walked away to where there were waiters walking around with trays of champagne.

He took a sip from his new glass. He heard the nonstop talking throughout the room lower to a buzz.

"Who is that?" someone whispered nearby.

"She sure is beautiful." Someone else said.

Ren turned to look towards where everyone was looking. There at the entrance he saw a stunning sight.

A young woman descended the stairs gracefully. She had long black curled hair that fell to nearly her waist. Her face was decorated with a blue-violet and gold mask. She wore a matching blue-violet ball gown that had a sweetheart neckline and around either shoulder was a shimmery band of golden fabric.

 _Kyoko…_ he knew immediately that it was her. There was no one else who could look so beautiful. She was glowing and Ren found himself walking towards the entrance to meet her before he realized he was. But when he reached the bottom of the stairs he found her already surrounded by multiple young men all hoping to get her name.

They were all talking to her at once, asking her name, if she worked for the agency (because they were sure they would've remembered her), and asking if she would dance with them.

He watched as Kyoko smiled charmingly at the men surrounding her. She laughed in a way Ren deemed flirtatious and he could feel jealousy rising up inside of him. Just the same as it had at the Dark Moon wrap party.

 _She doesn't understand that she's just encouraging them._ He struggled to make sure that his face hid his feelings before stepping forward to break through the crowd surrounding Kyoko.

Ren glided through the crowd and emerged directly before Kyoko. Her eyes went wide as she took in his costume. He smiled at her.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," he said as he placed a hand on Kyoko's wrist. "I'm afraid the princess is my date." He pulled her along after him and she flashed back to the way that Cain had pulled Setsu although this time he was a little gentler.

He kept walking until the two of them were out on a balcony alone. He released her wrist and stepped over to the rail overlooking the garden.

She took a moment to catch her breath and to stare at him. "Do you like it?" she asked.

He glanced at her.

"Do you like your costume?" she asked, clarifying what she meant.

"Yes," he replied, "I like it very much."

Kyoko beamed. "You really do look like a prince when you're wearing that." She told him as she stepped to the railing and leaned against it. She stared out at the garden and Ren found himself watching her.

"Kyoko," he said, and when she looked at him he looked away.

"Yes?"

"You shouldn't be talking to other guys like that. Or smiling like that. It'll only encourage them. If that's the way you acted towards Kijima back at the wrap party it's no wonder he thought you were interested." He was lecturing her again. He hadn't meant to this time. He looked at her again.

Kyoko was confused. Why was he lecturing her about this? _Why is he bringing up Kijima?_ Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening.

"Ren, are you jealous?" she asked and he hoped his mask covered the blush he could feel on his face.

He didn't answer the question.

"And the time with Kijima, were you jealous then too?"

He could hear the amusement in her voice. "That's not what it is." He argued. "I just don't want you to embarrass yourself." He immediately regretted the words he had blurted out but Kyoko was unfazed.

She could tell he was flustered. _I made The Ren Tsuruga flustered._ Kyoko smirked. She was feeling more confident with her costume and mask. Confident enough to reach up and caress the side of Ren's face.

He turned his head to look at her and he saw a smile that he had rarely seen on her.

"So then, Mr. Playboy," she began in a dangerously silky tone. "It's not okay for me to smile and be polite with other men, but it's perfectly acceptable for you to smile and charm every woman you meet?" she turned away and began to walk back inside.

Ren stood frozen for a moment. _That was certainly a side of her I've never seen._ He chased after her grabbing her hand just before she re-entered the party. She didn't turn to look at him, so he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Any time that you get jealous of me giving attention to other women, you have the right to say something to me."

She was startled and looked at his face, trying to see if he was teasing her. But she only saw sincerity in his eyes. She smiled up at him and nodded. "All right then."

He felt relief wash over him. He had worried that she would stay mad but it didn't seem like she was that kind of person. _That's because she's a better person than me._

"Now then," he said as he bowed to her, "May I have this dance?"

The two of them spent the rest of the night dancing, talking, and just enjoying each other's company. They had even taken a walk in the moonlight through the gardens of the hotel. Ren watched Kyoko for signs that she was ready to leave but it wasn't until her third yawn of the evening that he was able to convince her of how tired she was.

She sighed as they walked to his car. "Do we really have to leave?" she asked him as she spun around in her dress once more. "I just want tonight to last forever."

Ren chuckled at her excitement. "I think if you had stayed any later you would've fallen asleep standing up." He teased.

Kyoko looked surprised at his statement before forcing a laugh.

"What?" he asked her as they reached the car. "Have you actually done that before?" he held open her door for her.

"No, of course not." She quickly climbed in the car and desperately tried to figure out how to fit all of her dress inside.

After several minutes of struggling they finally managed it and Ren climbed in and turned on the car. As they drove to Darumaya they discussed the night's events. Kyoko gushed about the decorations and the food, while Ren continued to steal glances at her in her beautiful gown.

Finally they reached their destination, but before Kyoko could get out of the car Ren leaned over and kissed her. As he pulled away from the kiss he smiled at the girl before him and he found that he understood what the president had meant about being patient waiting for her.

He took both her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Kyoko, I don't care anymore about whether or not we make our relationship known to the public. As long as I have you nothing else matters."

Kyoko blushed at his romantic words and couldn't help but lean up and kiss him. "I love you, Ren." She whispered to him as she pulled away.

"I love you too, Kyoko."

Moments later he was helping her out of his car and watching as she entered her home. He wished he had been able to convince her to stay the night at his place but also knew that this was easier for him. He climbed back into his car and headed for home.

Kyoko ascended the stairs and stepped into her bedroom. She looked at herself in her mirror and sighed dreamily. "Well, now I know how Cinderella felt when it struck midnight." She said as she began to undress. She changed into her pajamas and took off her make up and removed the wig she had been wearing.

"Back to just me." She muttered as she climbed into bed. _But at least when I wake up I still have my prince charming._ She drifted off to sleep as dreams of princesses, and fairy tales filled her head.

 _Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!_

Kyoko woke suddenly. "Is that my phone?" she searched in the dark for her phone. She picked it up and clicked to answer.

"Hello?" she answered groggily.

"Mogami-san. It's the President."

She was suddenly fully awake. The president sounded serious. "What happened?"

"It's Ren. He's been in an accident."

 **A/N: sorry for the cliffhanger. But I promise chapter 11 will be posted tomorrow. :) the next chapter is the last one but I have already planned out part 3 of this fsnfic. Thank you all for sticking with me!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Big Reveal

" _It's Ren. He's been in an accident."_

Kyoko felt her breath catch in her throat as she replayed the President's words in her head as she bicycled through the city at 3 AM. The president had said they were at the hospital and before he could say anything else she had hung up, dressed, and left Darumaya on her bicycle.

"Please be okay. Please be okay!" she chanted as she rode at lightning speed. _Why was I so stupid? What does it matter if people know about our relationship? I swear Ren, please be okay so I can tell you this. I promised you I'd never leave you so please don't leave me._

As she sped up to the front doors of the hospital she threw her bike down and ran inside. She ran to the desk and tried to talk but was struggling to catch her breath.

"I'm… here… to… see… Ren… Tsuruga…" she managed to get out between gasps for air.

The nurse nodded and printed a visitors badge for Kyoko. "He's on the second floor in room 210."

Kyoko grabbed her badge and sprinted to the elevator. By the time she reached the second floor she was in a panic. _Now I know how Ren must have felt when I was unconscious._ She sighed as she thought about the possible outcomes. What if he hit his head and forgot who she was? She didn't have any proof they were together. _He'd probably look at me and think that he'd never be with a girl like me. I'd lose him forever._

Kyoko hurried down the hall until she found room 210. She threw open the door and stopped when she looked inside the room. There were two chairs near the hospital bed, where Yashiro and the President were seated. But she was particularly interested in the person sitting upright on the hospital bed.

"Ren?" she asked as she stared at him in shock. He was dressed in normal clothes, and aside from a few cuts and a bandage above his right eye, he looked perfectly fine.

He looked up and his eyes went wide as he saw Kyoko's eyes fill with tears. He jumped up from the bed and quickly went to her and pulled her into his arms. He glanced at the president. "What did you tell her?" he asked as he held the shaking girl in his arms.

He led her back to the hospital bed and had her sit down next to him.

"I told you, I only got to say you were in an accident before she hung up." Lory said defensively.

Yashiro stood from his chair as he watched Ren put an arm around Kyoko. "Perhaps, President, we should give them a few moments?"

Lory nodded and rose to follow Yashiro out of the room. Kyoko took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself and stop her crying. She turned to Ren and took his face in her hands.

"From the way the President sounded I thought you were seriously hurt. Or worse." She spoke softly but she couldn't look away from Ren. She leaned up and kissed his lips.

"What happened?" she asked once she had ended the kiss.

Ren held her hand as he began to talk. "I was driving home after I dropped you off and when I was nearly there a car clipped my bumper. It sent my car spinning until I hit a tree." He took a breath. "I was fine. Just a few scratches. But since I hit my head they wanted to bring me in and do a test. The doctor cleared me to leave just a few minutes before you got here."

Kyoko nodded as she listened. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried." She turned to Ren with a fierce look in her eyes. "I don't care anymore. We can tell people about us."

Ren was surprised at her sudden declaration.

Kyoko stood up and began pacing. "On the way here I realized that the terrible torturous feeling I had in my heart must've been what you felt when I was in my accident. And it occurred to me that if you lost your memory like I had," she took a shaky breath. "I wouldn't have anything to prove that we were together. I would hate to lose you over something so ridiculous. So I want everyone to know."

Ren smiled at the woman before him. No matter what anyone else thought, she was most beautiful to him just like this. Without any costume or character, just Kyoko.

Several days later, Ren was doing a television interview on a morning talkshow and he had asked Kyoko to watch. She sat in the LoveMe room watching the TV anxiously to see what was so important.

Ren was seated on a couch near the host of the show. The host was a perky woman in her late thirties who wore clothes that were far too colorful for her. She smiled at Ren brightly as she asked him all of the normal interview questions.

After a few minutes, she looked down at one of her question cards. "Now, Ren, I know you get asked this every interview but I still have to ask. Do you have a girlfriend yet? You've had your first role in a romance already and we are all anxiously awaiting your first real life romance."

Ren laughed and Kyoko could see he was nervous. "Actually, I do have a girlfriend."

The whole live audience gasped. Heck, Kyoko was pretty sure the whole country gasped.

"You do?" the host asked, her eyes wide. "Who is she? How did you meet?"

Ren laughed again. "Yes. We met through work. She's an actress as well."

Kyoko felt herself blush at being called an actress on television.

"Her name is Kyoko. She played Mio in Dark Moon with me, as well as Natsu on Box R." Ren continued.

Kyoko zoned out after that. She was just too overwhelmed thinking about the fact that it was finally out there. _Everyone knows…_

"And do we hear wedding bells in the near future?"

Kyoko's head snapped up at the words of the host. She watched as the camera zoomed in to catch Ren's reaction. He couldn't help the slight blush that appeared on his face.

"Uh, um, we haven't talked about anything like that yet." He said as he tried to regain his composure.

The host giggled. "Finally a question that has made The Ren Tsuruga blush. She must really be some girl."

Ren nodded. "She really is."

Throughout the next week, both Ren and Kyoko were bombarded by paparazzi trying to get pictures of them as well as reporters trying to find out more information about the new couple. Kyoko had expected Ren to receive attention but hadn't expected to receive the same treatment.

She had come into work on one morning to discuss possibly doing an interview with a magazine, with Mr. Sawara. After they had decided on one magazine that they would allow to do an interview, Kyoko headed back down to the LoveMe section. When she opened the door she was greeted by an unpleasant sight.

"What are you doing here?" she spat the words out. Sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on the table, was Sho Fuwa. He stumbled to get up and looked at Kyoko.

"I was hoping you'd get here soon. I hate waiting." He stepped closer to her and Kyoko wondered about his wobbly steps until he got close enough to her where she could smell his breath.

"Are you drunk?" she asked as she waved a hand in front of her nose.

Sho glared at her. "Don't try to change the subject. I heard about you and that idiot pretty boy."

Kyoko took a step away from Sho. She didn't like being in the same room as him, but especially didn't want him so close to her. "Yes, I'm dating Ren. I don't see how it's your business."

Sho gave an annoyed huff. "It is my business! We made a deal. So now you have to go back to Kyoto."

Kyoko stared straight at him. "No, I'm not going, Sho." She took a deep breath. "I don't have to listen to you. You aren't someone important to me anymore."

She could see the anger rising in Sho's face.

"And besides, I've already made a stronger promise to Ren that I'll never leave him."

 _SMACK!_

The sound of Sho's hand connecting with Kyoko's face was loud and Kyoko fell to the ground unsure of what had just occurred.

"Did you just hit me?" she asked as she touched the tender area just below her eye.

"You can't go back on your word! You need to go back to Kyoto!" He was screaming at her now and Kyoko wasn't sure what to do.

Sho raised his hand again and Kyoko winced as she waited for it to make contact. But it didn't. She opened her eyes and saw Ren standing in front of her. She couldn't see his face but she could see a dark aura surrounding him.

"Don't you ever touch her!" Ren shoved Sho back causing him to fall over a chair. He stepped closer and raised a fist to punch the shocked Sho.

Kyoko realized what was about to happen. She jumped up and grabbed Ren's arm. "No, Ren. It's okay. Don't hit him." She had seen Ren like this before, when he was Cain but not Cain. He pulled his arm away roughly.

"Please Ren, just leave him. He's not worth it!"

Ren looked over at her surprised at where he was. He looked down at Sho who was lying scared on the floor, then back at Kyoko. "What happened?" he asked her.

Sho took that opportunity to scramble up from the floor and run from the room.

Ren stared at Kyoko. He touched the place on Kyoko's face where a bruise was already forming. "He hit you."

Kyoko touched his hand. "It's okay." She smiled at Ren. "I'm okay. And besides, I think you scared him away."

Ren nodded, uncertainly.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked as they sat down on the couch.

"I got here for a meeting but I heard some of the girls at the front talking about how Fuwa had come here to see you." He ran a hand through his hair. "I knew it couldn't be good. But I'm sorry I didn't get here soon enough to protect you."

She smiled at him again. "You did more than enough."

That evening both Ren and Kyoko were summoned to the President's office for a meeting. As they entered the office they saw the President dressed in one of his ridiculous costumes but looking quite cheerful. He gestured for them to sit down on the couch near him and poured them each a cup of tea.

"Welcome," he told them. "You two have certainly had a lot of excitement lately."

They both nodded and Kyoko took a sip of her tea as the president continued talking. "Our security was able to apprehend Sho Fuwa today and deliver him back to his agency. Although I've been informed by the President of his agency that they have dropped him due to today's assault."

"They have?" Kyoko asked, surprised at the news.

Lory nodded. "They could no longer excuse his behavior. I think he'll have a difficult time finding another agency to take him any time soon." He clapped his hands together once. "Ah, I have happier news though."

He looked seriously at Kyoko. "I would like to congratulate you on your graduation from the LoveMe section."

Kyoko looked back and forth between the President and Ren. "I, I'm not in the LoveMe section anymore?"

Lory nodded. "I think you've reached the point where you have gained back the important emotion you were missing. Although I do hope you'll stay on as a mentor to the other members and future members."

"O-of course! I'll always be a part of the LoveMe section I guess."

"And one more thing." The president continued. He handed Kyoko a stack of papers. "This is the script for a new drama I recommended you for. It's a lead role."

"A lead role?" she asked as she stared at the script. "But I-" she looked at Ren as if asking him to explain to her what was happening.

He smiled at her. "But what? You're an actress now."

Kyoko beamed at his words. "An actress." _I like the sound of that._

 **A/N: So that is the end of Part 2! I hope you all enjoyed it. I have big plans for at least 2 more parts to this story and depending on how strong I can keep it going, even longer. Here's the title and summary for Part 3. I'll be posting the new story tomorrow hopefully! Thank you!**

 **Part 3: Learning to Trust**

 **Summary:** **Kyoko and Ren's relationship is now public, but when Kyoko gets a job starring in a drama that's a high school romance will Ren's jealousy get the best of him? Or will he be able to look past the rumors and trust Kyoko?**

 **I hope you will all join me for the next installment of my series! Thank you!**


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